Seoul: South Korea’s new government on Thursday proposed a meeting with North Korea to resume the reunification of families separated since 1950-53. Korean WarDespite long strained relations between rivals of the North nuclear weapons program,
Family reunification is a highly emotional, human issue as it involves people aged 80 or older who are desperate to be reunited with their long-lost relatives before they die.
But North Korea, which often uses such reunification with South Korea as a bargaining chip, is unlikely to accept the offer as it seeks Seoul and Washington to resume talks on its nuclear program and other issues. Turning down offers to do, while instead focusing on perfecting his arms. technology.
“The South and the North must face the painful parts of reality. We must resolve the matter before the word of the separated families disappears,” Unification Minister Kwon Yangse said at a televised briefing. “We need to be quick and fundamental. There is an urgent need to use all possible means to come up with measures.”
Kwon said that South Korea hopes that the responsible officials of the two Koreas will meet in person as soon as possible for a frank discussion.
His proposal came two days before Chsok, a Thanksgiving holiday celebrated in both Koreas.
Exchange programs between Koreas have been stalled since the fall of 2019 of extensive US-led diplomacy aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program in exchange for economic and political gains.
Washington has urged Pyongyang to return to talks unconditionally, but has said it will not do so unless the United States abandons its hostile policies on the First North.
South Korea’s new conservative government, led by the president, since taking office in May eun suk yeoli is offered massive support plans in exchange for nuclear free But North Korea has bluntly rejected all of them.
Yoon has also offered shipments of COVID-19 relief material, but North Korea has also ignored them.
Last month, North Korea blamed its recent covid-19 outbreak Warned of more deadly retaliation on balloons flown from South Korea.
Since the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, the two Koreas are banning war-divided millions from visiting their relatives at the world’s most heavily fortified border. Decades later, most have no word on whether their loved ones are still alive.
Korea has sometimes allowed separated families to meet temporarily, but there has not been such a reunion since 2018.
According to the unification ministry, about 133,650 people in South Korea have applied for reunification, but about 70% of them have died.
During previous reunions, participants were usually given three days to visit their relatives and no one was given a second chance to see them again. Those reunions brought together parents and children, brothers and sisters and others who embraced each other and asked about their lives.
South Korea uses a computerized lottery system to choose the participants. Observers say North Korea chooses citizens loyal to its authoritarian government and is reluctant to extend reunification because it worries that its citizens’ contacts with more prosperous South Koreans could undermine its regime.
During the last “Sunshine” era of inter-Korean detention from 1998–2008, liberal South Korean governments often provided rice and fertilizers to North Korea to organize reunification. Kwon said the new government was not considering any incentives to resume reunification.
He said the government was trying to send an official message to North Korea on the offer of talks.
Family reunification is a highly emotional, human issue as it involves people aged 80 or older who are desperate to be reunited with their long-lost relatives before they die.
But North Korea, which often uses such reunification with South Korea as a bargaining chip, is unlikely to accept the offer as it seeks Seoul and Washington to resume talks on its nuclear program and other issues. Turning down offers to do, while instead focusing on perfecting his arms. technology.
“The South and the North must face the painful parts of reality. We must resolve the matter before the word of the separated families disappears,” Unification Minister Kwon Yangse said at a televised briefing. “We need to be quick and fundamental. There is an urgent need to use all possible means to come up with measures.”
Kwon said that South Korea hopes that the responsible officials of the two Koreas will meet in person as soon as possible for a frank discussion.
His proposal came two days before Chsok, a Thanksgiving holiday celebrated in both Koreas.
Exchange programs between Koreas have been stalled since the fall of 2019 of extensive US-led diplomacy aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program in exchange for economic and political gains.
Washington has urged Pyongyang to return to talks unconditionally, but has said it will not do so unless the United States abandons its hostile policies on the First North.
South Korea’s new conservative government, led by the president, since taking office in May eun suk yeoli is offered massive support plans in exchange for nuclear free But North Korea has bluntly rejected all of them.
Yoon has also offered shipments of COVID-19 relief material, but North Korea has also ignored them.
Last month, North Korea blamed its recent covid-19 outbreak Warned of more deadly retaliation on balloons flown from South Korea.
Since the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, the two Koreas are banning war-divided millions from visiting their relatives at the world’s most heavily fortified border. Decades later, most have no word on whether their loved ones are still alive.
Korea has sometimes allowed separated families to meet temporarily, but there has not been such a reunion since 2018.
According to the unification ministry, about 133,650 people in South Korea have applied for reunification, but about 70% of them have died.
During previous reunions, participants were usually given three days to visit their relatives and no one was given a second chance to see them again. Those reunions brought together parents and children, brothers and sisters and others who embraced each other and asked about their lives.
South Korea uses a computerized lottery system to choose the participants. Observers say North Korea chooses citizens loyal to its authoritarian government and is reluctant to extend reunification because it worries that its citizens’ contacts with more prosperous South Koreans could undermine its regime.
During the last “Sunshine” era of inter-Korean detention from 1998–2008, liberal South Korean governments often provided rice and fertilizers to North Korea to organize reunification. Kwon said the new government was not considering any incentives to resume reunification.
He said the government was trying to send an official message to North Korea on the offer of talks.