Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act

Floor Speech

I rise in strong support of H.R. 7152. First, I thank Representative Wexton for her inspiring leadership on this important bill, and I thank Chairman McCaul for working in a bipartisan way to move this important legislation forward. This bill addresses a deeply human issue: the separation of Korean families caused by the Korean war.

One of the most painful outcomes of the Korean war was the division of families, a wound that, 70 years after the war's end, has yet to heal. This separation has caused immense suffering, not only for those in Korea but also for Korean Americans here in the United States. Over 100,000 Korean Americans have been unable to see or hear from their loved ones in North Korea.

Despite its ongoing tensions with North Korea, South Korea has managed to facilitate some family reunions through video calls, letters, and in-person meetings. Unfortunately, Korean Americans have not had similar opportunities. Currently there is no formal U.S. Government process to help them reunite with their relatives in North Korea.

H.R. 7152 aims to fill this gap. It calls on the State Department to gather information from Korean Americans who wish to reunite with their families and work toward facilitating those reunions. This bill also calls on the State Department to make family reunions a priority in any discussions with North Korea.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is about honoring families and ensuring that our Korean-American constituents can stay connected to those taken from them as a result of war and borders. Let's give them a chance to reunite, to heal, and to find peace.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. STANTON. Wexton), the leader on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, our conversations about the Korean Peninsula are often dominated by North Korea's nuclear and missile policy. While these are important conversations to have, we cannot lose sight of critical humanitarian and human rights concerns on the Korean Peninsula.

This bill is about a very personal and universal issue. It is about family. It is about connection. It is about bringing people together across generations and across borders.

Korean Americans who yearn for the chance to reunite once again with long-lost family deserve a chance to make that dream a reality.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me and support this important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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