South and North Korea agree to family reunion in October

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2015-09-08

Lee Jong-tae, seen talking to CNS reporters in Seoul in March 2013, was
separated from his family by the Korean War as a child. (File photo/CNS)

South and North Korea agreed Tuesday to hold a reunion of families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War late next month in the DPRK's Mount Kumgang resort, Seoul's unification ministry has said.

The first family reunion in about a year and a half is to be held at the gathering center in the scenic resort located in the southeastern part of North Korea, from Oct. 20-26, the ministry said in a statement.

About 100 people each from the two sides will be reunited with relatives during the upcoming event, the first since February 2014 when the last such reunion was held in Mount Kumgang on a similar scale.

The agreement came after more than 23 hours of marathon talks. The working-level Red Cross contact ended at 10:10am Tuesday local time after kicking off at 10:50am Monday.