Reintroduction of the North Korea-North America Separated Families Reunion Act in the US House of Representatives

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The 'North Korea-US Separated Families Reunion Act,' which allows Korean Americans to meet their families in North Korea, has been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives.

According to the US Congress website on the 6th, Federal Representative Grace Meng (Democrat, New York) reintroduced the 'Act to Urge Discussions on Reunions of Korean Americans with Their Families in North Korea' (H.R.826, hereinafter referred to as the North Korea-US Separated Families Reunion Act) on the 4th.

The bill includes participation from a total of 21 members, including all four Korean American House members: Andy Kim (Democrat, New Jersey), Young Kim (Korean name Kim Young-ok, Republican, California), Marilyn Strickland (Korean name Sunja, Democrat, Washington), and Michelle Park Steel (Korean name Park Eun-joo, Republican, California).

The North Korea-US Separated Families Reunion Act was also introduced in 2019 and passed the House floor last year but was discarded after failing to pass the Senate.

According to Voice of America (VOA), the bill requires the Secretary of State or a designated official to discuss reunion plans for separated families with the South Korean government. Video reunions are reportedly included as one of the options.

The bill also includes provisions to appoint a Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights at the State Department and requires the State Department to consult with the South Korean government through this envoy.

Since 2000, South and North Korea have conducted more than 20 separated families reunions, but Korean Americans in the Americas without South Korean nationality have been excluded from eligibility.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.