[Exclusive] North Invites South Korean Separated Families to Visit Pyongyang... Yoon's First North Korea Visit Approval 'On Alert'

Last November, Received 'Pyongyang Invitation Letter' from North
"Discussion on Separated Families"... If Successful, First Yoon Administration Visit to North
Ministry of Unification "Will Review Upon Receipt of Visit Application"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Ryu Jaebok, chairman of the South-North Dispersed Families Association, has received an invitation letter from the North and is applying for a visit to North Korea. If the Ministry of Unification approves this, it will be the first visit to the North under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

According to a compilation of Asia Economy's coverage on the 13th, Chairman Ryu submitted the invitation letter received from the North to the Ministry of Unification on the 7th and is preparing documents to apply for approval of the visit.

The invitation letter obtained by this outlet shows that the North invited three association officials, including Chairman Ryu, Director Maeng Jeong-ah, and Director Choi Im-ho, to Pyongyang in November last year. The document states, "We invite three members of the South's South-North Dispersed Families Association to discuss civilian-level South-North dispersed families-related projects," and "When the above party visits Pyongyang, their safety and living expenses will be guaranteed."

Separated families reunited and parting again [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Chairman Ryu was elected as the 5th chairman of the South-North Dispersed Families Association in March last year, and around that summer, he inquired with the North about the intention to promote a 'civilian-level dispersed families reunion project.' The North's response to this was the invitation letter, and the association claims that the North Korean authorities also have a will to hold dispersed families reunions.

This contact is known to have been made through a former high-ranking overseas diplomat regarded as an expert on North Korea. According to intelligence sources, the sender of the invitation letter is presumed to be an organization managed by one of the general companies under the United Front Department of North Korea, and intelligence authorities are also reportedly identifying the existence of this organization.

Chairman Ryu explained, "I proposed a plan for the South-North dispersed families reunion project to the Ministry of Unification in May last year, but received no response," and "After much consideration, I decided to apply for the visit, judging that the reunion of dispersed families could no longer be postponed."

The Ministry of Unification stated that it will review the matter according to procedures. Regarding the sender of the invitation letter, it is known that a decision will be made after discussions with related agencies including intelligence authorities. A Ministry of Unification official said, "Whether the invitation letter was submitted is a matter concerning personal information, so we cannot confirm," but added, "Once a North Korean resident contact report or a visit approval application is received, it will be reviewed according to relevant laws and regulations."

Reunions Achieved by All Previous Governments... A Challenge for the Yoon Administration

President Yoon Suk-yeol Photo by Presidential Office

Since the 15th Kim Dae-jung administration, every government has succeeded in holding at least one dispersed families reunion during its term. This is considered the most burdensome issue for the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, which has maintained a 'strong against strong' standoff for over seven months since its inauguration.

The first reunion was in 1985 under the military regime, when 65 people met through a hometown visit group. Full-scale reunions continued from 2000, coinciding with the inter-Korean summit, until 2010. This period spans the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations. After the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration, inter-Korean relations froze due to incidents such as the Cheonan sinking, but reunions were held twice during Chuseok 2009 and October 2010. During the Park Geun-hye administration, two reunions were held in February 2014 and October 2015.

Under the Moon Jae-in administration, reunions took place in August 2018 at Mount Kumgang, following the Panmunjom Declaration. However, since the so-called 'Hanoi no deal'?the breakdown of the North Korea-US summit?inter-Korean relations have remained tense. Since the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, there has been no dialogue at all.

Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se said in his first briefing in July last year, "Considering the aging of dispersed families, the five years of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is practically the last chance to resolve this issue." Afterward, the South proposed talks to the North during last year's Chuseok holiday but received no response. Inter-Korean human exchanges ended with 613 people in 2020. Even those were all visits to the North, mostly related to access to the inter-Korean joint liaison office.