’Till we meet again ...

TWO KOREAS DISCUSS REUNIONS OF FAMILIES SEPARATED BY WAR We should part with the past, says Kim’s man.

Delegations from North and South Korea met yesterday for talks to arrange the first reunions in about three years for families separated by the Korean War, with the Red Cross paving the way.

The effort is among the steps promised by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to improve relations that had deteriorated over the North’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Yesterday’s meeting, in a hotel in North Korea’s tourist destination of Mount Kumgang, comes after the two sides agreed in April to pursue a reunion to mark a common national holiday in August.

“We should make active efforts for good results today by trusting and being considerate of each other,” said Pak Yong Il, the leader of the North’s delegation.

“We should also part with the past and go down the road our leaders have forged for us,” said Pak, the deputy head of the North’s agency to promote reunification, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.

South Korean officials have called for the visits between separated families to resume as a “humanitarian and human rights issue”, especially since many individuals are now in their 80s.

Past reunions have often unleashed floods of tears, ending in painful separations. The last reunions were held in 2015.

The South has also sought to resume video conferences and the delivery of letters among families divided by the border. –