Seoul (AsiaNews) - The two Koreas reached agreement yesterday to revive the long-awaited program that helps reunite families separated by war of 1950-53. According to the announcement by the spokesperson of the South Korean Unification Ministry, Lee Jong-Joo, "the reunification of at least one hundred families will be held from October 30 to November 5 at the Mount Kumgang tourist resort in North Korea."
Three years ago, in the famous tourist resort, a soldier from the North accidently killed a tourist from the South, mistaken for a spy. In retaliation for the gesture and lack of apology from Pyongyang, Seoul decided to stop all access to the mountain, one of the few sources of income for North Korea's fragile economy.
"This is a positive sign and shows flexibility on the part of North Korea - said spokesman Lee - we are witnessing a change in North Korea. However, it is still too early to say whether this will lead to a thaw in diplomatic relations. "
The reunification program was re-launched a year ago, after two years of interruption, allowing dozens of South Koreans to find relatives they had not seen for 60 years, but was then suspended again because of the controversy that broke out between the two countries after the sinking of the South Korean warship in March. Since the program started in 2000, more than 20,000 people have been able to meet, a fifth of whom through video links.
