HR 1841119th CongressIn Committee

Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act

Introduced: Mar 4, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act would (1) require the State Department to re-examine current U.S. travel restrictions to North Korea, including who may travel and under what humanitarian or national-interest conditions, and (2) press for serious diplomatic engagement with North Korea and South Korea aimed at ending the Korean War with a formal, binding peace agreement. The bill instructs the State Department to produce two 180-day reports: one detailing the travel-review results and any policy changes (unclassified with possible classified annex), and another outlining a clear roadmap for negotiations to achieve a permanent peace on the peninsula (also unclassified with possible classified annex). It also calls for the United States to pursue establishing liaison offices in the capitals of the U.S. and North Korea, in line with the 2018 Singapore framework. Throughout, the bill emphasizes that a formal peace would not alter the status of U.S. troops deployed in Korea or elsewhere. Overall, the bill seeks to liberalize travel for humanitarian reasons, advance diplomacy to end the war, and lay out concrete negotiation steps.

Key Points

1Travel restrictions review and humanitarian considerations
2- The bill requires the Secretary of State to conduct a full review of U.S. travel restrictions to North Korea, including how “in the national interest” travel is defined, what constitutes “compelling humanitarian considerations,” and whether funerals or family events could qualify for Special Validation Passports.
3Reporting on travel policy changes
4- Within 180 days, the Secretary must submit an unclassified report (with a possible classified annex) detailing the review, any policy changes considered or adopted, and the rationale for those decisions.
5Call for a formal end to the war with a roadmap
6- The bill urges serious diplomatic engagement to replace the Armistice with a binding peace agreement and to establish a permanent peace regime. It directs a 180-day report outlining steps to enter negotiations, key stakeholders, and challenges to achieving a formal end to the war (unclassified with a classified annex).
7Establishment of liaison offices
8- The act supports negotiating the establishment of liaison offices in the capitals of the United States and North Korea, reflecting the 2018 Singapore framework’s goal of improved official channels.
9Preservation of military status quo
10- The bill clarifies (through a rule-of-construction clause) that nothing in the Act changes the status of U.S. Armed Forces stationed in South Korea or other foreign locations.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- U.S. nationals seeking to travel to North Korea for humanitarian reasons or related purposes, and U.S. State Department travel policy and guidance. It also directly impacts U.S.-DPRK diplomatic efforts and potential future diplomatic channels.Secondary group/area affected- North Korea and South Korea, their governments and liaison mechanisms, and families of U.S. citizens with relatives in North Korea who stand to be affected by travel policy changes.Additional impacts- The bill frames a formal peace as an objective of U.S. policy, potentially influencing broader U.S. foreign policy toward Korea, nuclear diplomacy, and regional security dynamics. It requires reporting to Congress, which could shape subsequent legislative or administrative actions. It does not itself authorize funding or immediately change troop deployments, but it signals congressional support for diplomacy and humanitarian travel considerations.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025