Brad Sherman Holds Press Conference in Washington
Third Proposal Since 2021 and 2023
Key Issue Is Republican Support... Conservative Groups Protest
The U.S. House of Representatives has reintroduced the so-called "Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act," which calls for an end to the Korean War and the signing of a peace agreement. This is the third attempt this year with the same bill that was proposed in 2021 and 2023.
Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman held a press conference on the 26th (local time) in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. and announced that he had resubmitted the "Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act" to Congress.
At the press conference, Congressman Sherman said, "This bill is not a concession to North Korea but is intended to promote measures to build trust," adding, "While the bill does not resolve all conflicts with the North Korean regime, I hope it will be a first step to change the atmosphere and move toward a solution."
The bill urges the U.S. Secretary of State to make diplomatic efforts with North Korea and South Korea to conclude a binding peace agreement to formally end the Korean War. In particular, it calls for negotiations to establish liaison offices in each other's capitals between the U.S. and North Korea, as well as a comprehensive review of the travel ban against North Korea.
The key issue is whether the bill can secure support from conservative Republican lawmakers. In fact, during the press conference, the conservative group Truth Forum opposed the bill by holding placards behind the event that read "No peace without justice" and "The bill ignores the suffering of the people and rewards dictatorship."
Another point of interest is whether the travel ban to North Korea will be lifted. The U.S. government has banned its citizens from traveling to North Korea for over seven years since the "Otto Warmbier incident" in 2017. The U.S. State Department renews the travel ban regulations annually, and the Biden administration extended the ban last year, keeping it in effect until August 31 of this year.
According to foreign media such as the New York Post, North Korea ended its five-year border closure following COVID-19 and resumed foreign tourist arrivals at the end of last year to expand tourism revenue. North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un visited Samjiyon City in Yanggang Province in July last year and announced plans to "activate international tourism," accelerating the process. Local travel agencies such as Koryo Tour and KTG Tour have also resumed selling travel packages.
North Korean tourism has traditionally been popular among American and European tourists. U.S. CNN recently reported, through an interview with Justin Mattel, the first American to visit North Korea since COVID-19, that small group tours have resumed. Mattel, an American, revealed that he circumvented U.S. restrictions by acquiring citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
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