Number of S. Koreans with family in N. Korea down to less than 33,000
The number of South Koreans with family members in North Korea following their separation during the 1950-53 Korean War continues to drop, with less than 33,000 now remaining and the majority of them already aged over 80 years, data showed Sunday. As of late August, a total of 134,848 people have registered as having separated family members in the North, but only 32,948 of them were still…
The number of South Koreans with family members in North Korea has dwindled to under 33,000, according to data released by the unification ministry. As of late August, 134,848 people had registered as having separated family in the North, but only 32,948 of them were still alive, reported Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party.
The majority of these survivors are now over the age of 80, with two-thirds of them aged 80 to 89 and 11,007 aged 90 and older. Approximately 3,000 people with family in North Korea pass away each year. Given that reunions are becoming increasingly difficult due to ongoing tensions, the ministry must begin preparing for inter-Korean dialogue as a top priority if talks between North Korea and the United States resume, emphasized Woo, whose own family is based in the North.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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