S. Korea to begin preparations for separated family reunions next month 남북， 이산

Resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War was one of the agreements reached between the two Koreas at the recent high－level talks. South Korea says it plans to begin preparations to hold the event in time for the Chuseok holiday next month. Hwang Sung－hee has the details. South Korea said Wednesday it will begin preparations for what could be the first set of separated family reunions in nearly two years. ″The issue of separated families is one of the most urgent matters to be resolved. Through calm preparations， the government will work towards holding the family reunions in time for Chuseok.″ The resumption of reunions for war－separated families was one of the inter－Korean agreement reached on Tuesday. Since Chuseok， or Korean Thanksgiving holiday， falls at the end of September this year， the two Koreas have less than a month for preparations. The two sides are expected to hold working－level Red Cross talks early next month to discuss the details. Millions of family members were separated by the Korean War in the 1950s， but time is running out for the elderly victims. Out of the nearly 130－thousand registered divided family members in the South， more than 50 percent are over the age of 80 and nearly half have already passed away. In her Liberation Day speech a couple of weeks ago， President Park Geun－hye had urged the North to help arrange reunions as a way to rebuild trust between Seoul and Pyongyang. ″Regardless of our conflicting ideologies， we must seek a fundamental solution to the separated family issue， from a humanitarian perspective.″ South Korean efforts to resume the reunions have always been hampered by North Korea′s demands that it receive something in return， such as the lifting of sanctions. Although the working－level talks in September may not be smooth sailing， some say the resumption of reunions could play a key role in expanding humanitarian exchanges between the two Koreas. Hwang Sung－hee， Arirang News.