Korean families separated since the 1950s have gotten a chance to see their estranged relatives for a few hours this week. The reunions, held every few years, mark an upturn in relations between North and South Korea, separated since the Korean War. But for the families involved, the reunions are mostly a chance to bid their relatives a final farewell.
The two governments are holding reunions between Feb. 20 and Feb. 25 for siblings, spouses, as well as parents and their children, from the two states. Once families participate in one of the sessions—which have been held periodically since 1985—they are barred from taking part in another. Aside from this event, families are forbidden from communicating with their relatives across the border. Over 70,000 more Koreans are waiting for a turn to see their estranged family members—spaces are allotted through a lottery system.
Most of the participants in the program are now in their 80s and 90s and don’t expect to be around to see their family members again, even if relations between the North and South improve. As a result, several elderly Koreans in bad health were determined to make the reunion on Feb. 20. An 87-year-old South Korean woman with Alzheimer’s disease did not recognize her sister. A 91-year-old man attended the reunion with an IV drip to see his son who lives in North Korea.
