Resolution introduced calling for Korean Americans' reunion with separated NK families

A mother who lives in South Korea cries while hugging her son who lives in North Korea at the 21st reunion held at Mount Kumgang hotel in 2018. Yonhap

By Lee Yeon-woo

Rep. Young Kim, a Korean American congressman and the chair of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the United States, has introduced a joint resolution that calls on the U.S. and North Korea to reunite Korean Americans with their separated families who were dispersed by the 1950-53 Korean War.

On Wednesday (local time), Kim announced that she and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove introduced a bipartisan resolution urging both countries to reunite Korean American separated families with immediate relatives as a humanitarian policy of immediate concern.

"We must continue our momentum to reunite Korean Americans with their war-torn loved ones in North Korea before it's too late," Kim said.

Rep. Young Kim / Korea Times file

"As Indo-Pacific Subcommittee chair, I look forward to ensuring timely implementation of the Divided Families Reunification Act and I am proud to lead this bipartisan resolution to demonstrate united support for making long-overdue reunifications for so many a reality," Kim added.

South and North Korea have facilitated 21 reunions and seven video reunions since the first Seoul-Pyongyang summit in 2000. The latest one was held in August 2018.

However, according to Kim, the estimated 100, 000 Korean Americans who have family members in North Korea have been left out of this process.

"An entire generation has passed since an estimated 100, 000 thousand Korean Americans have seen or heard from their loved ones in North Korea. California's 37th District has a significant Korean American community, and many of them have not had contact with their family members," Kamlager-Dove, who represents California's 37th District said.

"Korean Americans have largely been left out of the process of reunification. We need to work to bring these families back together," she added.

Kim and Kamlager-Dove were also joined by other representatives, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Rep. Michelle Steel and Rep. Andy Kim, who are of Korean descent.

The Korean American society welcomed the efforts. "We thank Congresswoman Kim's unwavering support for aging war-torn families in the United States and abroad," Song Won-seok, the executive director of Korean American Grassroots Conference said.

"We look forward to seeing more formal mechanisms be set for reunification," Song added.