U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40), who serves as Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, has joined a bipartisan effort urging President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prioritize the reunification of Korean American families separated by the Korean War. The letter comes ahead of South Korean President Lee’s upcoming visit to the White House.
Since the end of the Korean War, an estimated 100,000 Korean Americans have been separated from relatives across the 38th parallel in North Korea. While North and South Korea have organized more than 20 family reunions, there is no established channel for participation by Korean Americans. Many in this community continue to seek opportunities for reconnection with their loved ones after more than seventy years.
Rep. Kim is among the first Korean American women to serve in Congress and has consistently supported efforts to reunite divided families. She played a key role in advancing the Divided Families Reunification Act, which was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation calls for collaboration between U.S. and South Korean officials and requires regular reports to Congress on progress toward enabling family reunions.
The initiative is backed by organizations such as the Korean American Grassroots Conference and the Council of Korean Americans.
The bipartisan letter states: “Across the United States, tens of thousands of members of the Korean American community are seeking to reunify with their loved ones who were separated from family as a result of the Korean War. These divided families have relatives living on both sides of the 38th parallel, marking the divide between North and South Korea. Seven decades after the armistice, the lack of reunification opportunities—or even information about the whereabouts of family members—remains a source of deep pain for many.”
It continues: “Congress has sought to assist divided families by engaging our diplomatic resources in reunification efforts. In 2023, the bipartisan Divided Families Reunification Act, H.R. 826, became law. Accordingly, the Secretary of State must ‘consult with officials of South Korea, as appropriate, on potential opportunities to reunite Korean American families with family members in North Korea.’ The Secretary must also include representatives of the Korean American community in such efforts.”
“With South Korean President Lee’s coming visit to the White House on August 25, we believe your Administration has a golden opportunity to engage our Korean counterparts in advancing efforts to reunify divided families,” lawmakers wrote.
“Seven decades after the armistice, time is running out. We urge you to include divided families in conversations with South Korea as it is an issue of great importance to Korean Americans across the nation. We respectfully request a response from you prior to President Lee’s upcoming visit regarding this request, and another update immediately following the visit to better understand how we can continue supporting these families in their reunification efforts.”
Young Kim represents California’s 40th district in Congress since replacing Gil Cisneros in 2021 (https://kim.house.gov/). She previously served in California’s State Assembly from 2014-2016 (https://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/14116). Born in Incheon, South Korea in 1962 and currently residing in La Habra, she graduated from University of Southern California with a BBA degree.
