[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 190 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 190

Encouraging reunions of Korean Americans who were divided by the Korean 
                   War from relatives in North Korea.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 3, 2015

     Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Warner) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Encouraging reunions of Korean Americans who were divided by the Korean 
                   War from relatives in North Korea.

Whereas the division of the Korean Peninsula into the Republic of Korea 
        (referred to in this preamble as ``South Korea'') and the Democratic 
        People's Republic of Korea (referred to in this preamble as ``North 
        Korea'') separated more than 10,000,000 Koreans from family members;
Whereas since the signing of the Korean War armistice agreement on July 27, 
        1953, there has been little to no contact between Korean Americans and 
        family members who remain in North Korea;
Whereas North and South Korea first agreed to divided family reunions in 1985 
        and have since held 19 face-to-face reunions and 7 video link reunions;
Whereas those reunions have subsequently given approximately 22,000 Koreans the 
        opportunity to briefly reunite with loved ones;
Whereas the most recent family reunions between North Korea and South Korea took 
        place in February 2014 after a suspension of more than 3 years;
Whereas the United States and North Korea do not maintain diplomatic relations 
        and certain limitations exist for Korean Americans to participate in 
        inter-Korean family reunions;
Whereas more than 1,700,000 people of the United States are of Korean descent;
Whereas the number of first generation Korean and Korean American divided family 
        members is rapidly diminishing given advanced age;
Whereas many Korean Americans with family members in North Korea have not seen 
        or communicated with their relatives in more than 60 years;
Whereas Korean Americans and North Koreans both continue to suffer from the 
        tragedy of being divided from loved ones;
Whereas the inclusion of Korean American families in the reunion process would 
        constitute a positive humanitarian gesture by North Korea and contribute 
        to the long-term goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula shared by the 
        governments of North Korea, South Korea, and the United States;
Whereas the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 
        110-181; 122 Stat. 3) requires the President, every 180 days, to submit 
        to Congress a report on ``efforts, if any, of the United States 
        Government to facilitate family reunions between United States citizens 
        and their relatives in North Korea''; and
Whereas in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Public Law 111-242; 124 
        Stat. 2607), Congress urged ``the Special Representative on North Korea 
        Policy, as the senior official handling North Korea issues, to 
        prioritize the issues involving Korean divided families and, if 
        necessary, to appoint a coordinator for such families'': Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the significance of the past willingness of 
        North Korea to resume reunions of divided family members 
        between North Korea and South Korea;
            (2) encourages North Korea to permit reunions between 
        Korean Americans and their relatives still living in North 
        Korea;
            (3) calls on the Secretary of State to further prioritize 
        efforts to reunite Korean Americans with their divided family 
        members;
            (4) acknowledges the efforts of the American Red Cross to 
        open channels of communication between Korean Americans and 
        their family members who remain in North Korea;
            (5) encourages the Government of South Korea to include 
        United States citizens in future family reunions planned with 
        North Korea; and
            (6) praises humanitarian efforts to reunite all individuals 
        of Korean descent with their relatives and engender a lasting 
        peace on the Korean Peninsula.
                                 <all>