Seoul:The number of South Koreans who have family members in North Korea, separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, has decreased to fewer than 33,000, with the majority now over the age of 80.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as of late August, 134,848 people had registered as having separated family members in North Korea. However, only 32,948 of these individuals are still alive, based on data from the unification ministry provided to Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party.
Among the surviving individuals, two-thirds are aged 80 and older, with 10,945 between the ages of 80 to 89 and 11,007 aged 90 and above. The data indicates that around 3,000 people with family in the North pass away each year.
Rep. Woo emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "As not much time remains for separated families, the unification ministry must start preparing now so that inter-Korean dialogue can be discussed as a priority agenda item in the event talks resume between North Korea and the United States." Woo himself has family in North Korea.
The Korean War led to many families being separated, and the ongoing tensions between the two Koreas have made reunions challenging. The last time South Korea organized reunions for these separated families was in August 2018.