Tester, Heitkamp Call on President to Appoint Special Envoy to Korean Peninsula

Following Today’s Missile Launch and Recent Pentagon Report, Senators Call for Diplomatic Action in North Korea

(U.S. Senate)–Following North Korea’s most recent missile launch today, U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Heidi Heitkamp are calling on President Trump to appoint a special envoy to ensure the United States is using every diplomatic tool possible to ensure the safety and security of the American people.

In a letter to the President, the senators requested that a Special Envoy to the Korean Peninsula be tasked with easing regional tensions and bringing regional powers and allies to the table.

“We write with deep concern about North Korea’s dangerous behavior and acceleration of its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, which threaten our national security,” the senators wrote. “The United States cannot sit idly by as a dangerous dictator threatens our families, our freedoms, and America’s standing in the world.”

The senators’ letter comes on the heels of a recent Pentagon report that states that North Korea could have a fully capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by next year.

The senators also requested that the Administration immediately fill the important vacant positions of Ambassador to South Korea, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues, Special Envoy for Six Party Talks, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, Under Secretary for Policy, and the Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs.

Tester and Heitkamp’s letter can be found HERE.