The unification ministry announced its focus on confirming the status of separated families’ relatives in North Korea if inter-Korean relations show signs of improvement. As part of the 2026-2028 plan for supporting families separated by the Korean War, efforts will be made to restart exchanges between these families at both government and civilian levels. The ministry emphasized that progress in inter-Korean relations would lead to a priority on verifying the situation of families’ relatives in North Korea.
Since the year 2000, the two Koreas have organized 21 rounds of separated family reunions following the first inter-Korean summit. However, these state-arranged events have been on hold since August 2018 due to strained inter-Korean ties. North Korea’s decision to dismantle a reunion facility for separated families in the Mount Kumgang tourist area further complicated the situation.
In response to the challenges, the ministry plans to explore options for a new location for family reunions and aims to facilitate reciprocal visits between separated families in Seoul and Pyongyang. The urgency of addressing the issue stems from the increasing number of elderly members passing away without reuniting with their relatives in North Korea. Currently, there are 34,658 surviving separated family members registered with the government, with 32 percent of them aged 90 and above.
