Koreans separated by war to meet after decades
SEOUL: Lee Soo-nam was eight the last time he saw his older brother. Sixty-eight years ago this month the boy watched as his 19-year-old brother left their home in Seoul to escape invading North Korean soldiers who were conscripting young men just weeks after invading South Korea to start the Korean War.
An hour later his brother, Ri Jong Song, was snatched up by North Korean soldiers near a bridge across Seoul’s Han River. Lee always assumed Ri died during the three-year war that killed and injured millions before a cease-fire in 1953. But Ri survived the war, living in North Korea. The brothers, now 76 and 85, will be among hundreds of Koreans who will participate, starting Monday, in a week of temporary reunions of divided families.
The elderly relatives gathering at North Korea’s scenic Diamond Mountain resort know that, given the fickle nature of ties between the rival Koreas, this could be the last time they see each other before they die.
“I’m nervous. I’m still unsure whether this is a dream or reality. I just want to thank him for staying alive all these years,” Lee said.
Since the end of the war, both Koreas have banned ordinary citizens from visiting relatives on the other side of the border or contacting them without permission. Nearly 20,000 people have participated in 20 rounds of faceto-face reunions since 2000. No one has had a second chance to see their relatives.
This week’s reunions come after a three-year hiatus during which North Korea tested three nuclear weapons and multiple missiles that demonstrated the potential of striking the continental US.
Behind the raw emotions, the meetings are tightly coordinated events where participants are closely watched by North Korean officials and South Korean journalists.
As in previous reunions, South Korea’s Red Cross, which organises the events with its North Korean counterpart, has issued a guidebook which tells South Koreans what to do and what not to do. AP