Separated family was generated by special circumstances between South and North Korea; 1945 liberation, the partition of the Korean Peninsula, followed by a cold war period. As separated family has got older and older with the passage of half of century since the division into the two, the matter of separated family must be settled without delay.
Government of people regards the solution of separated family between South and North Korea as the first subject to be solved and has kept making every efforts to accomplish it. Especially, government made an strong express of regulation and organization of separated family’s exchange in order to resolve in a radical way for example, confirmation of living, dying, or an address & correspondence & family reunion, etc.. It has consulted with North Korea about the matter through the South-North Authorities Meeting or Talks between the South and North Korean Red Cross Society and insisted on cooperation to North Korea.
6.15 South_North Joint Declaration in June, 2000 became the beginning of a solution for reunion between South and North Korea by exchanging family and relatives group who have separated. After that, confirmation of living, dying, or an address & correspondence were able to carry out through the South and North Minister-level Meeting or Talks between South and North Korean Red Cross Society. The actual results about exchanges are distinguished. Around 5,400 persons have met their family or relatives over 5 times of reunion of separated family and the question of living or dying for 11,8482 persons have been solved through 2 times of confirmation work. Also, each 300 persons of South and North Korea have exchanged letters. Exchange between separated families in another country, which is organized by a private agency, have been activated and expanded in terms of quality and quantity thanks to an administrative and financial support of government. As a result, the exchange has been increased.
The reunion of separated family carried out in Mt. Geumgang two times in 2002 and some advanced measures were decided by the presidents in the 4th Talks between the South and North Korean Red Cross Society, which are to establish a meeting place in Mt. Geumgang and to build another meeting place in the western area in case of connection of railroad and highway of the Gyeongui line. Therefore, it made a foundation to solve the problem of separated family in a systematic way including a regular visiting and reunion.
Government is planning to focus on solving systematic problems regarding a building and control of a meeting place, the confirmation of living and dying, and exchanging of letters on the basis of an exchanging project, which has been done. Government is expecting to plan and fulfill concrete practicable measures through the South and North Korean meeting, such as Talks between the South and North Korean Red Cross Society.
