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Special Report

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SOMETHING MORE WOULD BE helpful, however: a formal mechanism for exchanging information with the DPRK. Linton suggests an independent commission, a quasi-governmental body separate from the political negotiations that dominate today's contacts between North Korea and America. "We're not asking for a handout, only an official mechanism," he says.

Alice Jean Suh, who directs the Saemsori Project, believes that such an office could create a comprehensive data base, submit names to North Korea to locate living relatives, and establish transparency standards (such as DNA matching to confirm identities) for contacts.

"These are vulnerable and elderly American citizens, desperate to see their families before they die," she notes. Eugene Bell's proposed system could "guarantee the legitimacy" of reunification efforts, she adds. In this way we are "lobbying on behalf of grandmothers in America."

Linton sees another benefit of such a step: improving U.S. credibility in dealing with North Korean human rights and refugees. Right now these concerns "are seen as a political tactic, including in South Korea," he explains. Many Asians discount Washington's professed humanitarian concern for Koreans on the peninsula when it seems unwilling to help its own citizens of Korean heritage.

Although Linton and Suh have been working to educate Congress, some legislators and staffers have balked, fearing criticism for being weak on North Korea. "Everyone thinks it is a great idea, but no one wants to be the first one," says Suh. Administration support would end such worries.

Congressmen also could reap a political benefit from Korean- Americans. Se-heum Hong notes: "We need to remember that North Korea is not just a foreign policy issue, but a domestic issue."

For years, America's dealings with the DPRK have ended up at a deadend. Washington should look for small, non-controversial steps which could benefit both sides. Divided families could be reunified, for instance, even if the governments of North Korea and America remain deadlocked over nuclear weapons. And there's always a possibility, no matter how slight, that dialogue begun in this area might positively influence the discussion of other, more controversial topics.

topics:
Foreign Policy, Education, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, Unions