Tears, hugs, arguments as Korean families reunite seven decades after division
By Simon Denyer, Bureau chief
Min Joo Kim
August 20 at 9:40 AM
SEOUL — Nearly 90 South Korean families crossed the heavily fortified border into North Korea on Monday to be reunited with elderly relatives they had not seen since being separated in the chaos of war nearly seven decades earlier.
Brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces cried and embraced each other in the first family reunions to take place in three years, a symbol of thawing ties across the Korean Peninsula.
Some relatives could not even recognize each other, but that was not a problem for 88-year-old Kim Byung-oh and his 81-year-old North Korean sister Kim Soon Ok, who were separated while still at school. “I haven’t slept a wink since being selected for this family reunion,” Kim Byung-oh said as he met his sister, according to brief pool reports supplied by South Korean reporters.
“Blood ties don’t disappear, even after all this time,” Kim Soon Ok replied. “You really look exactly like me.”
Kim Soon Ok showed her brother an old photograph of herself at medical school and said she had worked as a doctor. “I lead a respected life in Pyongyang,” she said.
Kim Byung-oh said he had worked as a high school headmaster until retiring 10 years ago, adding that it was an honor to see his sister had done so well.
“Oh brother, it will be great when reunification happens,” she said. “Let reunification happen, and let’s live together for even just one minute before we die.”
After 11 hours together over the next three days, the pair will part, unlikely to see each other again. And — unless something changes — they will not even be able to exchange letters.
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