Dear friends,

I’ve just returned from the Korean DMZ -- the last bastion of the Cold War. As I walked along the barbed wire, I saw first hand the harsh reality of division that separates the two Koreas -- and families. 

Sixty-eight years ago today the war between the United States, North Korea, and China was frozen in time, with the signing of an armistice agreement that was intended to be a placeholder while a formal peace treaty was negotiated. Instead, the U.S.-North Korean talks stalled, resulting in the original “forever war.” 

Quincy Institute views ending this war as key to promoting peaceful relations and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. Watch this video, featuring Quincy Institute president Andrew Bacevich, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressman Andy Kim, South Korean Minister of Unification Lee In-young, and me -- to find out more, or read my latest article in Responsible Statecraft. 

We are all in on this effort. Earlier today, I spoke at the Korea Economic Institute about how an end-of-war declaration could catalyze a broader peace and denuclearization strategy on North Korea. And in the coming months I will co-lead a “peace game” simulation exercise to explore the potential issues, challenges, and opportunities that could arise. Quincy is partnering with the U.S. Institute of Peace and the South Korea-based Sejong Institute on this diplomacy-centered initiative. 

As Americans, we sometimes forget how real war can be for people whose lives are upended by it, years or decades after fighting has ended. 

Thank you for supporting the Quincy Institute as we work to end endless wars and promote practical diplomacy.

Sincerely,