Government to Confirm Life Status First... Reunion Realization Uncertain
Support for Participation of 2nd-3rd Generations if 'Hometown Visit' Achieved
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The government has decided to prioritize 'confirmation of life and death' as the top task for separated family reunions. However, since the North's cooperation is essential for the final 'separated family reunion,' various challenges are expected in the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's separated family policy.
The Ministry of Unification announced on the 7th the 4th Basic Plan for Promoting Inter-Korean Separated Family Exchanges (2023?2025), which includes these details. It was drafted to supplement and develop the existing basic plan, presenting four major tasks: ▲resumption and revitalization of separated family exchanges ▲resolution of issues related to POWs, abductees, and detainees ▲expansion of the exchange foundation for separated families ▲comfort for separated families and expansion of domestic and international consensus.
Letters from separated families that have not been delivered to the North are collected at the Separated Families Civil Service Office in the annex of the Seoul Office of the Korean Red Cross. [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the Ministry of Unification, 3,647 people who applied for separated family reunions with the government but could not meet their family members in the North passed away in the past year alone. Among the 42,220 survivors as of last month, those in their 80s and 90s (28,605 people, 67.8%) exceed half, indicating a severe aging of separated families. Even when expanding the criteria to seniors aged 60 and above, the number reaches 39,970, nearly 94.7%.
Considering these issues, the government plans to establish a comprehensive life and death confirmation plan through the bulk exchange and reporting of the entire list of surviving separated families and prioritizing confirmation and reporting for urgent cases. If comprehensive life and death confirmation is difficult, the plan is to conduct it continuously on a certain scale annually and gradually expand the scale.
Additionally, the Ministry of Unification is preparing technical cooperation measures such as building an inter-Korean separated family database (DB) and connecting dedicated networks, while also updating the life and death confirmation request forms in preparation for exchanging lists with the North.
Furthermore, the Ministry plans to make efforts to resume separated family reunions and hometown visits for separated families by utilizing major occasions such as holidays. In particular, if hometown visits are realized, the Ministry envisions maintaining the identity of separated families not only through the participation of the first generation but also the second and third generations.
However, the North has still not responded to the talks proposed by Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se in September last year ahead of the Chuseok holiday, leaving the feasibility uncertain. Considering this, the government plans to focus on projects that can be initiated on our side first, such as producing video letters to expand the exchange foundation, assessing the status of overseas separated families, and projects to expand domestic and international consensus.
A Ministry of Unification official explained, "Considering the aging situation of separated families, we intend to utilize all available policy measures to the fullest," adding, "We will also actively support the passage of the amendment to the Separated Families Act, which includes designating 'Separated Families Day' as a national memorial day."
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