More than 400 S Koreans reunited with family members from the North

Seoul (AsiaNews) – Some 430 South Koreans were reunited yesterday with family members from the North after more than 50 years of separation. The event took place at Mt Kumgang in North Korea and represents the 11th round of family reunions held since the historic June 2000 Pyongyang meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas (North Korea's Kim Jong-il and then South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung) which marked a thaw in the relations between the two countries.

A first group of some 100 South Korean families were reunited with their long-lost family members over the week-end; members of a second group dined last night with their North Korean relatives at a hotel.

Hong Jae-he, 95, the oldest member from the South, was among them. She was able to meet her son from the North, Chae Su-woong, 71.

Lee Young, 80, the oldest from the North, was reunited with five siblings from the South.

The second group returns to the South tomorrow, wrapping up the latest round at Mt Kumgang family reunion centre.

Authorities on both sides of the border hope that the centre will be able to organise more meetings between divided families.

• south
• korea
• north
• korea
• reunification
• families
• war
• dictatorship
• mt
• kumgang