Emotional Farewells

[Anchor Lead]

The participants at the latest round of inter-Korean family reunions averaged more than 80 years old. The surviving separated families are aging fast, bringing about calls for more fundamental solutions to the issue, and more reunions.

[Pkg]

The long-separated family members spent three dream-like days. They already miss their loved ones, wondering if they would ever see them again.

[Soundbite] Kim Gyo-nam(91, Met with his brother in N. Korea) : "I bid him goodbye. There was nothing else I could do."

Over two rounds of reunion events, 170 families were reunited with their loved ones. But out of some 56,000 surviving reunion applicants, 85% of them are elderly and over the age of 70. The two sides, therefore, agreed to hold additional reunions and negotiate follow-up measures. It appears more reunions will be held in October at the earliest. Inter-Korean reunion organizers also exchanged their thoughts on video meetings. They also plan to allow separated family members to visit their hometowns. Around 3,000 separated family members in South Korea are estimated to die annually without finding out their loved ones' whereabouts in the north.