Koreans separated by war hope for reunion

Stories of Koreans separated by the border splitting the peninsula have been common since the 1950 war tore apart hundreds of thousands of families.

Since 1985, there have only been 21 face-to-face family reunions for Koreans separated by the 1950 war that split the peninsula.
Reuters

Since 1985, there have only been 21 face-to-face family reunions for Koreans separated by the 1950 war that split the peninsula.

The recent thaw in relations between the two Koreas has raised hopes for the reunion of families separated by a militarised border and decades of mutual suspicion. 

Before the Korean War broke out in 1950, 90-year-old Kim Won-ju fled south from North Korea, leaving behind everything including his family.

He's lived a full life since, having met almost every South Korean president and received some of the highest awards for bravery. But despite his achievements, he says he would trade it all to see his family again.

"If only I didn't cross over, I could have taken care of my parents,” he says. “I really didn't think it would take this long."

"I searched for my family, in case they came to the South after the Korean War. You don't know how much I looked for them‚ how much I missed them."

This year, Kim Won-ju will celebrate his 91st birthday. He says he's only hanging on with the hope he'll see his family some day.

Joseph Kim spoke to some of the people affected.

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Official data suggests there are about 60,000 South Koreans still on a waiting list to reconnect with their loved ones in the North.

And with more than 80 percent of those on the list being over 70, statistics show at least 10 people on the list die each day.

Despite the large pool of applicants, logistics only allow North and South Korea to each send 100 randomly selected persons to one round of the family reunions. 

With inter-Korean relations being at a low until recently, the last time the two Koreas had a family reunion was in 2015. 

The United Nations has called the issue of separated families an urgent humanitarian matter, saying the continued separation is a violation of basic human rights. 

But with meetings between North and South Korea around the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, there are hopes the two countries can restart the programme soon.  

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