{
  "id": 9260782,
  "title": "President Lee says resolving separated families' plight cannot wait",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/president-lee-says-resolving-separated-families-plight-cannot-wait-9260782",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T03:35:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yonhap News",
    "slug": "yonhap-news",
    "url": "https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260923005800315"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung emphasized on Wednesday that the plight of families divided by the 1950-1953 Korean War is the foremost concern for the two Koreas. Addressing the fourth Separated Families Day in a statement during his visit to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Lee stressed that waiting any longer is untenable. After eight years since the last reunion, he urged the nations to overcome hostility and confrontations in favor of respect and meaningful exchange, pledging his administration would persist in addressing the issue despite strained inter-Korean relations. Chung Dong-young, Unification Minister, personally connected his birth on the same day the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953 to his belief that the nations cannot remain at war indefinitely and that the armistice should eventually evolve into lasting peace. Philosopher Kim Hyung-seok, a first-generation separated family member, recalled his inaction to move from Pyongyang during the conflict, while committee head Jung Min-soon advocated for building a memorial to safeguard the families' narratives, emphasizing the importance of passing these stories to future generations to appreciate the value of peace. As of the end of August, the government had registered 134,843 separated families, with 101,895 having passed away, and roughly 67 percent of the remaining individuals being elderly aged 80 and older.",
  "summary": "SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called the plig...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "President Lee says resolving separated families' plight cannot wait",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/president-lee-says-resolving-separated-families-plight-cannot-wait",
        "published": "2026-09-23T03:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}