U.S. senator reintroduces bill to expedite humanitarian aid to North Korea

A U.S. senator has reintroduced a bill to expedite humanitarian assistance, including lifesaving medical care, to North Korea, as many people in the reclusive state need nutritional support and access to health care and other basic services.

Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts submitted the bill — with Sen. Elizabeth Warren co-sponsoring it — on Wednesday, according to Congress’s website.

The bill’s text, however, has yet to be posted on the website.

A previous bill, submitted by Markey in 2021, called for enhancing U.S. sanctions exemptions to facilitate the provision of goods and other items that support humanitarian projects to meet basic human needs in North Korea.

It also called for streamlining humanitarian travel authorizations, as the United States has maintained a travel ban on its citizens to North Korea since 2017, citing the risks of being arrested and detained in the North.

Yonhap