25 Members of the US House of Representatives Advance a Resolution on Repatriating Abductees

Chosun Daily
Oct. 31, 2011

It has been confirmed that on the 30th, 25 members of the US House of Representatives have agreed to participate in introducing a resolution addressing the issue of POWs and civilians abducted during the Korean War. In order to introduce the resolution to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, more than 25 co-sponsors, including more than 10 members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, are needed.

According to a source, “25 members of the US House of Representatives have decided to become co-sponsors of the resolution on the abductees.” He added, “As we have fulfilled the pre-requisite of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of having more than 25 co-sponsors, there is a higher chance for passing the resolution.”

The resolution, which demands the repatriation of POWs and civilians abducted during the Korean War, was proposed by Charles Rangel, member of the House of Representative, to mark the 58th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement in July.

Members of the Korean War Abductees’ Family Union (KWAFU), which is conducting the Nation-wide Campaign to Wear Mulmangcho (Forget-me-not) Badges in an effort to remember 100,000 people abducted during and after the Korea War, visited the US twice this year and urged the US Congress to pass the resolution.

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who has the authority to introduce the resolution, showed her intention of “fully supporting the introduction of the resolution” to KWAFU President, Lee Mi-il.

The Korean American community, including the Korean American Voters' Council in New York, filed a petition with the aim of passing the resolution during the current session of Congress.