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| ▲ This file photo, taken Sept. 8, 2022, shows an official at the Korean Red Cross checking a collection of video messages by South Korean families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The video letters were produced for delivery to the separated families' kin in North Korea. (Yonhap) |
govt-separated families
S. Korea to hold survey on separated families every three years
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry said Tuesday it will conduct a survey on the fate of South Korean families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War every three years, as more aging Koreans have died without being able to meet their kin in North Korea.
Earlier in the day, the Cabinet approved a revised enforcement ordinance to the law on the separated families that allows the government to conduct such a survey every three years, up from the previous cycle of every five years.
Under the plan, the government will inspect the situation of divided families this year, advancing the schedule from 2026.
The ministry earlier said it will seek to shorten the survey cycle in a bid to map out policies in a timely manner as more elderly people have passed away without having a chance to meet their long-lost relatives in North Korea.
The number of surviving separated family members came to 38,491 as of the end of April, with 67.3 percent of the total aged 80 and older, according to government data.
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