Letter to Colleagues - Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act

Letter

Dear Colleague,

Please join me as an original co-sponsor of the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act. In 1953, the
parties to the Korean War signed an Armistice Agreement that pledged an end to "all acts of
armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved." Common sense tells us that
this conflict ended in July 1953. But in fact, we only signed an armistice. Therefore, we
technically remain in a state of war with North Korea. This situation does not serve anyone's
interest.

On April 27, 2018, in Panmunjom, the leaders of South Korea and North Korea declared that "a
new era of peace has begun on the Korean peninsula," and committed "to declare the end of war"
on the Korean peninsula 65 years after the signing of the armistice agreement. In its roll out of its
policy towards North Korea, the Biden Administration expressed support for the Singapore
framework, which identifies peace on the Korean peninsula as an objective of any future
negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act expresses support for the commitments made at
Panmunjom and urges the Secretary of State to pursue serious, urgent diplomatic engagement
with North Korea and South Korea in pursuit of a binding peace agreement constituting a formal
and final end to the state of war between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States. The
bill also requires a report from the Secretary of State that describes a clear roadmap for achieving
a permanent peace agreement on the Korean peninsula.

The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that given such commitments made at Panmunjom
and Singapore, the Secretary of State should seek to enter into negotiations with North Korea to
establish liaison offices of the DPRK and the United States in the respective capitals of each such
country.

One major consequence of the continuation of the Korean War is that the United States does not
have formal relations with North Korea. The current restrictions barring United States nationals
from traveling to North Korea have had profound effects on Americans with relatives living in
North Korea. The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act requires the Secretary of State to conduct a
full review of the restrictions in place conditioning the travel of Americans to North Korea, and
to submit a report to Congress detailing such a review. The review shall examine:

- The nature of travel to North Korea that qualifies as ""in the national interest'' of the
United States;
- The ""compelling humanitarian considerations'' that qualify a United States national for
travel to North Korea; and
- Whether travel to North Korea for the purposes of attending to or witnessing funerals,
burials, or other religious and family commemorations of relatives of United States
nationals does or should qualify as ""compelling humanitarian considerations'' meriting
issuance of Special Validation Passports to such individuals.

The continued state of war on the Korean Peninsula does not serve the interests of the United
States nor our Korean American constituents. Join me in calling for peace on the Korean
Peninsula.

If you would like to co-sponsor, or if you have any questions, please contact Michelle Schein at
michelle.schein@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,
BRAD SHERMAN
Member of Congress

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