More than 170 constituents from across the U.S. met with 139 Congressional offices in 28 states to advocate for a peace-first approach with North Korea, humanitarian assistance to the country, and reunions for Korean American divided families. Korea Peace Advocacy Week lasted from June 5-9 and called for co-sponsorship of H.R. 1369 the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act and support for the soon to be introduced Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act.

This is an important time to remind members of Congress about the human costs of the unresolved Korean War. As military tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, there is an urgent need to avoid a nuclear conflict. Unfortunately, what is happening is the exact opposite. South Korea and the U.S. are bringing nuclear weapons back to the Korean Peninsula and escalating the crisis.

History has proven that nuclear threats and war games are not a deterrent to nuclear war. Usually increased militarization increases the risk of war and not the other way around.

For this reason, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act (H.R. 1369) calls for serious, urgent diplomacy to achieve a binding peace agreement between the U.S. and North Korea and formally end the Korean War. The bill also expresses the need to establish a liaison office in Pyongyang for this purpose. In addition, it calls for a review of the travel restrictions to North Korea in order to ease tensions. People-to-people exchanges are needed to ease tensions between U.S. and North Korea.

Representative Brad Sherman introduced the bill on March 1st. With the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice Agreement approaching on July 27th, Rep. Sherman urged Congress to declare peace by stating, “The continued state of war on the Korean Peninsula does not serve the interests of the United States nor our constituents with relatives in North and South Korea.” Having been suspended by only an armistice agreement, the Korean War has never ended. Negotiating a peace agreement would reduce tensions and be an incentive to North Korea to suspend its nuclear weapons program. It would also directly improve the lives of ordinary North Koreans.

Being one of the few Americans with extensive experience working and living in North Korea, I can personally testify how declaring an end to the Korean War would significantly improve both U.S. and North Korea relations as well as the lives of ordinary people in North Korea. North Koreans are literally living as if they are in a state of war, and as a result, the humanitarian assistance in essential. According to the UN, 71% of children under the age of two are not receiving minimal nutrition, and approximately 41% of the population at large is food insecure.

Many obstacles, such as the travel ban and treasury department restrictions, hinder humanitarian organizations from creating long-term sustainable solutions and saving lives. The Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act will also be re-introduced this year to allow humanitarian organizations like mine to adequately provide much-needed aid. Humanitarian organizations need these unnecessary restrictions removed, the freedom to travel, and the ability to implement projects on the ground in order to address the humanitarian needs in North Korea.

Time is of the essence. Increasing militarization on the Korean Peninsula is pushing the scale towards war. There is a rapidly closing window to address this urgent issue through a diplomatic approach. The current crisis in Korea is unstable, and the best way to address it is to finally declare an end to the war and omit the fundamental reason for nuclearization.