Korean Family Reunion Preps

79-year old Lee Sun-ok is preparing to see her siblings in North Korea after nearly six decades.

Lee will see her brothers and sisters during a three-day reunion at a mountain resort in the North, which will bring together relatives who have not seen each other since the 1950 Korean War.

She never imagined seeing her family again and is thrilled to be among the fortunate few taking part.

[Lee Sun-ok, Reuniting With Siblings]:
"I thought maybe when the world gets turned upside down, I might get back to see them."

Lee left her North Korean village near the border with China when a South Korean soldier ordered her to come and be a medic in the South.

Her father saw his gun and said she should go.

Lee, then 20, thought the separation would only be temporary, but has not seen them since.

The two Koreas began the reunions nine years ago for the thousands of families torn apart by the war, but meetings have been on hold for two years due to political tensions.

74-year-old Hahm Ok-yeop left North Korea as a teenager and now is preparing for her reunion, with designer gifts for her brother and sister.

Hahm crossed the border before the war and her family, facing persecution for being Catholics in the communist North, planned to send members one by one to the South.

Once the war broke out, though, no one else could leave.

[Hahm Ok-yeop, Reuniting With Siblings]:
"I was so lonely when I came here because I came alone."

There have been 16 rounds of family reunions involving about 16,000 people since the year 2000.

The two countries have also set up closed circuit television links for video reunions.

Yet thousands of South Koreans, who applied for the reunions about a decade ago, have died before their wish could be granted, while among those living, memories are fading of relatives left behind.

Category:

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Tags:

• ntd
• NTDTV
• News
• Korean
• Family
• Reunion
• Preps
• Siblings
• China
• political
• tensions
• persecution
• Catholics
• communist

[cooltiger333]

Great, fantastic, hopefully within the next few years North Korea will stop the threats and nuclear testing so that North and South Korea can be allies and friendly peceful nations towards the worlds.

[rayochapin]

Good for them, I have not seen my father in 20 years:( and this story kinda of relates with me, God bless all these families!!

[ancientkiki]

great story