Split Families from North and South Korea to Unite

North and South Korea reached a deal to resume family reunions. About a hundred families that were torn apart by the Korean War will get together at a resort in North Korea from September 26 to October 1, which falls around Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday.

[Choi Sung-il, Vice President of Central Committee of the North Korea Red]:
„North and South Korea will continue to discuss humanitarian issues, including separated families, under the ideal of developing inter-Korean relations.“

As soon as the two Koreas agreed to resume reunions, Seoul’s Red Cross Office started selecting a hundred separated family members who can attend the event.

An old man who was selected was so excited that he could finally meet his two brothers and one sister living in North Korea.

[Lim Jae-gil, Attending Family Reunion]:
„I like this. I am happy. I can dance if you want me to. Thank you.”

South Korea has also pressed the North to address an important issue. More than a thousand South Korean citizens were either abducted by the communist state or were prisoners-of-war who were not allowed to return after the Korean War ended.

[Hyun In-taek, S. Korean Unification Minister]:
„There’s a limitation at one meeting — we cannot solve all the issues such as those (abductees and war prisoners) at once.”

The family reunions began about nine years ago, but were called off by the North nearly two years ago.

(NTDTV)