Long-lost kin meets in Seoul, P`yang after 50-year separation

Members of families divided between South and North Korea for half a century were temporarily reunited in Seoul and Pyongyang Thursday under the second round of the family reunion program held three months after the first reunions Aug. 15.

A total of 200 displaced family members, 100 each from the South and the North, arrived in each other's capital via a Korean Air flight and met with their long-lost kin, beginning their three-day visits with group reunions.

During their reunions, held at Central City in Seoul and Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, the separated relatives hugged each other and shed tears. Some were left virtually speechless due to their overwhelming emotions. The family members, most of whom are elderly, tightly clasped each other¡¯s hands for about two hours until their first meeting came to an end.

Following the group meetings, the North Korean visitors attended a dinner hosted by the Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) at the Maple Hall in Central City and the South Koreans participated in a dinner hosted by the Pyongyang City's People's Committee. After that, they spent their first night in their respective home towns.

The South and North Korean visitors are scheduled to hold individual reunions twice--- Friday morning and afternoon at the Hotel Lotte World in Seoul and the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, the South Korean visitors were originally scheduled to leave for Pyongyang at 9 a. m. but their departure was delayed for about three and a half hours due to inclement weather at Pyongyang¡¯s Sunan Airport. The delegation finally departed Kimpo International Airport at 12:47 p. m. Accordingly, the North Koreans' arrival in Seoul was also delayed, as they were to take the same flight, Korean Air (KE) 815.

Lee Chol-Hi klimt@donga.com