--- kind: "section" citation: "22 U.S.C. § 7818" title: "22" title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse" number: "7818" heading: "National registry of Korean American divided families" release: "119-102" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/7818" units: - "Chapter 85 — North Korean Human Rights" - "Subchapter I — Promoting the Human Rights of North Koreans" --- # §7818. National registry of Korean American divided families - (a) **National registry—** - (1) **In general—** The Secretary of State, acting through the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, or such other individual as the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) may designate, shall— - (A) engage, to the extent practicable, Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) who wish to be reunited with [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members residing in [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4) from which such Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) were divided after the signing of the [Agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) Concerning a Military Armistice in Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (commonly referred to as the “Korean War Armistice [Agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7)” ), in anticipation of future reunions for such [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) and [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members, including in-person and video reunions; and - (B) establish a private, internal national registry of the names and other relevant information of such Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2)— - (i) to facilitate such future reunions; and - (ii) to provide for a repository of information about such Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) and [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members in [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4), including information about individuals who may be deceased. - (2) **Disclosure of information—** The Secretary of State may enter into [agreements](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) with Korean individuals and [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2), academic institutions, or other members of the public, as appropriate, to share, in whole or in part, information collected and housed in the database if— - (A) the [United States person](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) whose personally identifiable information would be disclosed as a result of an [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) has provided consent to such disclosure; and - (B) the [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) outlines reasonable steps and commitments to ensure that any information disclosed as a result of such [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) is— - (i) kept private and confidential; and - (ii) will not be disclosed improperly to other parties outside the [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7). - (b) **Actions to facilitate dialogue between the United States and North Korea—** - (1) **In general—** The Secretary of State should take steps to ensure that any direct dialogue between the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) and [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4) includes progress towards holding future reunions for Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) and their [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members in [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4). - (2) **Consultations—** The Secretary of State shall consult with the Government of the Republic of Korea, as appropriate, in carrying out this subsection. - (3) **Reporting requirement—** - (A) **In general—** The Secretary of State, acting through the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, shall include in each report required under [section 7817(d) of this title](/usc/22/7817.md?p=d) a description of the consultations described in [paragraph (2)](#b-2) conducted during the year preceding the submission of the report. - (B) **Elements—** The reporting required under [subparagraph (A)](#b-3-A) should include— - (i) the status of the national registry established pursuant to [subsection (a)(1)(B)](#a-1-B); - (ii) the number of individuals included on the registry who— - (I) have met their [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members in [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4) during previous reunions; and - (II) have yet to meet their [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members in [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4); - (iii) a summary of responses by [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4) to requests by the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) Government to hold reunions of divided [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2); and - (iv) a description of actions taken by [North Korea](/usc/22/7803.md?p=4) that prevent the emigration of [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members of Korean American [families](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2). - (c) **Appropriate congressional committees defined—** In this section, the term ‘appropriate congressional committees’ means the Committee on [Foreign](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) Relations of the Senate and the Committee on [Foreign](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) Affairs of the House of Representatives. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 119–60, div. H, title LXXXIII, § 8361, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1884.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Codification Section was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, and not as part of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004, which comprises this chapter. ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Consultations on Reuniting Korean Americans With Family Members in North Korea Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LV, § 5599B, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3400, provided that:Consultations.— Consultations with south korea.—The Secretary of State, or a designee of the Secretary, should consult with officials of South Korea, as appropriate, on potential opportunities to reunite Korean American families with family members in North Korea from which such Korean American families were divided after the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, including potential opportunities for video reunions for Korean Americans with such family members. Consultations with korean americans.—The Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues of the Department of State should regularly consult with representatives of Korean Americans who have family members in North Korea with respect to efforts to reunite families divided after the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, including potential opportunities for video reunions for Korean Americans with such family members. Report.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022], and annually thereafter for three years, the Secretary of State, acting through the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues or other appropriate designee, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the consultations conducted pursuant to this section during the preceding year.”