The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights reiterated Washington's readiness for dialogue with Pyongyang on Tuesday, as she highlighted the issue of Korean Americans with families in the North as a matter of "utmost urgency." Ambassador Julie Turner underscored her priority on addressing the issue of separated families, noting that many of the families are "running out of time" due to their old age. "As we continue to message to the DPRK that the U.S. is ready to talk right now without any preconditions, we are hoping to put out there different areas, in which the North Koreans might be willing to communicate," she said during an event hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace to discuss how to heal the trauma of family separation involving Korean Americans. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "I hope they will hear us in thinking through these issues, particularly divided families and family reunifications because of the humanitarian mission undern eath of this effort, and so we will continue to signal and message our readiness to get back to the table," she said. Turner said that Washington is ready to proceed with in-person and virtual family reunions by building an official, regular channel, and that it would welcome opportunities for Korean Americans to visit their ancestral hometowns in the North. The ambassador pointed out the urgency of the issue as many families, including those in their 80s, have long been looking to reunite with their families in the North. "At the end of the day, we are prioritizing this because no one deserves family separation. It's inhumane and traumatic," she said. "The clock is ticking and the reunification is a matter of utmost urgency." As a Korean American adoptee, Turner said she understands the "desire to return home" and the feeling of "not wanting to be too late" for family reunions. "When I was a young college student, I did travel back to Korea to do a birth parents search. When I got to Korea, I found out that the individual, who was listed on my paperwork as my biological father had passed away just a few months before," she said. "I do understand that feeling of not wanting to be too late ... I wanted to just extend my sympathy and express that on the U.S. government side." The event took place on the 74th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The issue of separated families is dealt with as a legacy of the war. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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