Korea family reunions: The stories of separated loved ones
- Published
Dozens of elderly North and South Koreans are meeting for the first time in more than six decades this week. They were some of the millions of people separated from loved ones during the 1950-53 Korean War, which left those on the northern side unable to leave. These are the first such family reunions in three years.
The families are spending three days together in a tourist resort in North Korea but only be with their relatives for a few hours each day - in total, only 11 hours. Most of their interactions will also be heavily supervised. These North Koreans were dressed in traditional finery.
Baik Sung-kyu is this year's oldest South Korean participant at 101. He brought along clothes, shoes, utensils and toiletries for his 48-year-old North Korean granddaughter, Baek Yong-ok, pictured here. "This will be the last [time we meet]," he had told reporters ahead of the reunion. "So I have brought a lot."
Ninety-nine-year-old Han Shin-Ja (R) was reunited with two of her daughters, aged 72 and 71, who burst into tears when they saw her. Ms Han fled North Korea with her youngest daughter during the Korean War, not knowing their separation would be permanent. "When I fled during the war..." she managed to say to reporters, before becoming overcome with emotion.
Seventy-year-old North Korean Ahn Jung-soon, who can be seen here feeding her 100-year-old father Ahn Jong-ho, asked if he recognised her. Mr Ahn, who is hard of hearing, did not respond verbally, but had tears streaming down his face.
Kim Kwang-ho (L), 80, said goodbye to his brother when he was just 14 and fled south with his father and older siblings. His mum and his younger brother stayed behind. He thought they were going to be apart for "three days, or a week" - it turned out to be a 66 year wait. Before he met his 78-year-old brother Kim Kwang-il, he couldn't even remember how he had looked.
Ahead of the reunions, one South Korean who had been selected shared his fears about the meeting. "If they have become totally indoctrinated, they will not tell us frankly what their lives are like," Yun Jung-sik told the Washington Post. South Korean residents have also been advised not to criticise the North Korean leadership, lest it cause problems for their families.
The latest reunion is one outcome of a historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April. Reunions have been held periodically over the years, but this time, for the first time, the separated families will get to spend time together in private.
Only 89 people from the South and 83 from the North are taking part in this year's reunions. For the tens of thousands Koreans who haven't been selected - most of whom who are in their older years - time is running out to meet their family members across the border.
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