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Park proposes to hold inter-Korean family reunions around Lunar New Year’s Day

January 12, 2015
Family members attempt to hold on to each others’ hands as North Koreans board the bus to part from their South Korean relatives after holding their final reunions at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea’s east coast. (Yonhap)

Family members attempt to hold on to each others’ hands as North Koreans board the bus to part from their South Korean relatives after holding their final reunions at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea’s east coast.
(Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — President Park Geun-hye pressed North Korea Monday to come forward for talks with South Korea to arrange the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

“North Korea should come forward for dialogue without hesitation,” Park said in a news conference.

She also expressed hope that North Korea will agree to stage the reunion of separated families around Lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Feb. 19.

She said the issue of family reunions is one that cannot be delayed, given the age of those in the separated families.

Family reunions are a highly emotional issue on the divided Korean Peninsula, as most of the separated family members are in their 70s and 80s and want to see their long-lost relatives before they die.

There are no direct means of contact between ordinary civilians of the two countries that remain divided by a heavily fortified border.