Separated Families Reunite at Mt. Geumgang
2003-02-21
Mt. GEUMGANG -- A group of separated family members from South Korea were reunited on Thursday (Feb. 20) with their long-lost North Korean kin who were dispersed by the 1950-53 Korean War.
The family reunion took special meaning, as it was the first time the South Koreans came here after venturing across the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) via a temporary overland road.
A total of 461 South Koreans met 99 North Korean kin and the reunion site at Onjeong-gak pavilion at the foot of the scenic mountain turned into a sea of tears.
The family of one North Korean woman failed to take part in the reunions due to their mother's bad health, a Red Cross official said.
The South Koreans left a condominium in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, earlier in the day for the overland route through the DMZ.
The South Korean delegation was led by Korea Red Cross Society vice president Lee Se-woong and was accompanied by some 70 Red Cross officials and 30 journalists.
The group arrived in Jangjeon, a gateway to the scenic mountain in the North, at 1:00 p.m. before being reunited with their kin at a meeting around 4:00 p.m.
Individual reunions will take place on Friday.
The group included a 96-year-old woman, Yoo Soon-ok, who was reunited with her 74-year-old son.
Yoo, despite poor eyesight, recognized her beloved son. “I remember you had a scar on your forehead when you were very young,” Yoo said.
Meanwhile, another group of some 100 elderly South Koreans will also make a three-day trip to the mountain from Sunday to hold a similar reunion with their families in the North.
The family reunions have been the most outstanding outcome of the landmark inter-Korean summit in June 2000 in Pyongyang between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Source : www.korea.net
