Korean American Divided Families Registry Act

On September 15, members of Divided Families USA (DFUSA) met with Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), urging his support for the passage of the Korean American Divided Families Registry Act (H.R. 1273), which is currently being promoted in the U.S. Congress.

Introduced this past February, the bill has bipartisan support from 14 members of Congress, including Democratic Rep. Subramanyam and Republican Rep. Young Kim. The act calls for the collection of information and preparations to facilitate reunions for Korean American divided families.

Though the bill was introduced during the 118th Congress, it was not enacted into law. Now being reintroduced, it gives renewed hope to elderly divided family members, many now in their 80s and 90s who long to see their loved ones one last time.

Chahee Lee, Secretary General of DFUSA, traveled from Chicago for the meeting and shared:

“More than 70 years have passed, but I still miss the family I left behind in the North and continue to hope for a reunion someday.”

Song Jang, a 92-year-old who escaped from Hungnam during the Korean War aboard the SS Meredith Victory and now lives in Virginia, expressed:

“I thought I would be able to return soon, but time has passed mercilessly. It’s my duty as a son to visit my parents’ graves, even if it’s late.”

Song also revealed that he plays the saxophone whenever he misses his hometown. That day, he performed songs like “Living in a Foreign Land” and “Gomoryeong in the Rain”, moving the audience to quietly sing along with teary eyes.

Yusook Kim, President of the Alliance for Korea United Washington, also attended the meeting and stated:

“We are continuing the unification movement in hopes that the two Koreas will one day reunite. Reunification is a human rights issue.”

She emphasized the importance of continued interest in the plight of North Korean residents and defectors in China.

Congressman Subramanyam noted:

“After meeting with many Korean Americans and hearing from fellow members of Congress, I became aware of the divided families issue and introduced the bill. Fourteen members are co-sponsoring it in the House, and similar legislation is also moving forward in the Senate. We are hopeful for a good outcome.”

During their visit to Washington, DFUSA will continue advocacy efforts by meeting with additional lawmakers, including Rep. Young Kim and former North Korea Human Rights Envoy Julie Turner, to broaden support for the bill.