By Before anyone starts claiming this is some kind of breakthrough, keep in mind this is not being done out of the warmness of Kim Jong-il’s heart. This is a cold political calculation which gives him another bargaining chip to deal with because he can threaten to stop the reunions if South Korea doesn’t make a concession on something Kim wants:
Ninety-seven South Koreans had their first reunions in six decades with their 228 North Koreans families separated during and around the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Their reunions were held at Mt. Geumgang in the North, a tourist site that is being operated by South Korea’s Hyundai Group in an exclusive contract with Pyongyang. All reunions were emotional but those involving two kidnapped South Koreans and a South Korean prisoner of war drew particular attention.
The POW was identified as the 79-year-old Lee Qae-seok, who has lived in the North since he was taken prisoner during the Korean War. Lee met his two younger brothers.
No Seong-ho and Jin Yong-ho, two of the sailors on board Dongju fishing boat kidnapped by the North in 1987, met their families. The family reunions were the first in two years. [Korea Times]
In general these reunions are very popular in South Korea due to their obvious emotional impact, which makes it that much more difficult for the government in the South to ignore concessions wanted by the North Koreans.
11:22 am on September 26th, 2009 1
Given the timing and the location of the meetings, Hyundai most probably had a thing or two to do with this. I wonder what Hyundai has to gain from it, though. After all, North Korea isn't a bottomless pit for South Korean investors.
12:13 pm on September 26th, 2009 2
These reunions are such a farce. Although it goes on for three days, they can only meet each other during a few scheduled times and under very tightly controlled conditions. They simply aren't allowed to go off alone.
Moreover, several of these men were South Koreans kidnapped by the North. Why doesn't the South insist they be allowed to stay??
12:24 pm on September 26th, 2009 3
Good question. Why doesn't the South insist they be repatreated?. Perhaps they "elected" to stay in the north. Coerced or for whatever reason, there seems to be more to the story.