[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 143 (Thursday, November 20, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6210-S6211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 587--ENCOURAGING REUNIONS OF KOREAN-AMERICANS WHO 
   WERE DIVIDED BY THE KOREAN WAR FROM THEIR RELATIVES IN NORTH KOREA

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

                              S. Res. 587

       Whereas the division of the Korean Peninsula into the 
     Republic of Korea (referred to in this Resolution as ``South 
     Korea'') and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 
     (referred to in this Resolution as ``North Korea'') separated 
     more than 10,000,000 Koreans from their 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 their 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 the aforementioned reunions have subsequently given 
     approximately 22,000 Koreans the opportunity to briefly 
     reunite with their 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 Americans are of Korean 
     descent;
       Whereas the number of first generation Korean and Korean 
     American divided family members is rapidly diminishing given 
     their 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 their 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, of South Korea, and of the United States;
       Whereas the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
     Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) requires the President to 
     submit a report to Congress every 180 days on ``efforts, if 
     any, of the United States Government to facilitate family 
     reunions between United States citizens and their relatives 
     in North Korea'';
       Whereas in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 
     (Public Law 111-242), 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 North Korea's past 
     willingness to resume reunions of divided family members 
     between North Korea and South Korea;
       (2) acknowledges North Korea's release in November 2014 of 
     incarcerated American citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew 
     Miller;

[[Page S6211]]

       (3) encourages North Korea to permit reunions between 
     Korean Americans and their relatives still living in North 
     Korea;
       (4) calls on the Department of State to further prioritize 
     efforts to reunite Korean Americans with their divided family 
     members;
       (5) 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;
       (6) encourages the Government of South Korea to include 
     United States citizens in future family reunions planned with 
     North Korea; and
       (7) praises humanitarian efforts to reunite all individuals 
     of Korean descent with their relatives and engender a lasting 
     peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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