Washington: A U.S. congressman announced on Wednesday that he has reintroduced a bill aimed at formally ending the Korean War of 1950-53 and establishing a binding peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) held a press conference to discuss the "Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act," which urges the secretary of state to present Congress with a roadmap for achieving lasting peace on the divided peninsula.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the bill also mandates that the secretary of state engage in negotiations with North Korea to set up liaison offices in each nation's capital. Additionally, it calls for a review of the current U.S. travel restrictions to North Korea. Sherman emphasized that the bill is not a "concession" to North Korea but a mutual step toward peace, transitioning from the cessation of military conflict in 1953 to hopefully ending the formal state of war by 2025. He described the bill as a confidence-building measure aimed at changing the current atmosphere.
Sherman noted that 33 lawmakers have joined him in the effort to introduce the bill. He had previously introduced the same bill in 2021 and 2023, although it failed to pass through the House on both occasions.