Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) pledges to support efforts to reunite Korean-American families
12 May 2006, Washington, DC-- After receiving a letter from constituent Harry (Hung Kyu) Bang of Menlo Park, CA, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo has pledged to support efforts to help reunite his family and other Korean-Americans with relatives in North Korea. Dr. Bang was born in North Korea and last saw his older sister in 1946. Rep. Eshoo's office has contacted the State Department on Dr. Bang's behalf and has sent a letter of support for Saemsori's efforts.
Saemsori helped Dr. Bang contact Rep. Eshoo's office and receive a reply. This work is part of its mission to connect Korean-American divided families to local constituent offices for help.
Read Rep. Eshoo's letter to Dr. Bang
A text of Harry Bang's letter to Congressmwoman Eshoo is below:
Dear Congresswoman Eshoo,
As a constituent and a Korean-American, I would like to ask for your help to find my older sister in North Korea. I was born in Jongju, North Pyongan Province in North Korea, and came to the United States in 1954.
Because of tense political relations between the US and North Korea, I have not been able to write a letter or make a phone call to my sister for over 50 years. All I would like to know is whether she is still alive.
As far as I can tell, there is no office within the US government that can help me find my sister. Although our country has an official dialogue with North Korea about nuclear weapons and human rights, we have never expressed official concern for the divided family issue. There are tens of thousands, perhaps even half a million, other Korean-Americans who share my plight. We have nowhere to turn.
Since 2000, the South Korean government has run a program that has successfully reunited several thousand families. In addition they have held video reunions, exchanged letters, and confirmed whether thousands more are still alive. But there is little that the South Korean government can do for American citizens.
The United States has an opportunity to be the first country outside of Korea to set up an official family reunion program with North Korea. I beg you to help me find sister before time runs out.
Sincerely,
Harry Bang