By Lee Kyoung Mi and Kim Young Shin

“Sangchol!”

“Mom!”

Lee Geum-seom, a 92-year-old mother, with tears flowing down her face, hugged her long-separated son who she had lost while her family was evacuating from a battlefield during the Korean War (1950-1953). Ri Sangchol, who looks very much like his mother, even after decades, also held his mother with teary eyes.

After looking at photos of her late husband and his family, the mother said, “How many children do you have? Who are they?” She grasped her son’s hands tight throughout the meeting.

On Aug. 20, the first day of the 21st reunion for Inter-Korean separated families, the 89 family members from the South left Sokcho, Gangwon-do Province, to head to the Mount Kumkang resort across the border in North Korea to meet their loved ones after so many years. This is a very small number, considering that more than 10 million people got separated from their families after the Korean War.

At 3 p.m. the group meeting began. When the family members from the South entered the room, the North Korean song “Bangapseumnida” (반갑습니다), which in English means “Nice to See You,” was turned on loud for the event. After meeting each other face-to-face at the tables designated for each family, they ran into each other’s’ arms.

During the first meeting, which lasted for two hours, the families from each side of the border gazed into each other’s eyes and asked after their families’ health.

Han Sin-ja, a 99-year-old who lost her two daughters while fleeing, instantly burst into tears when she finally saw them again. Kim Dal-in, 92-years-old, met his little sister living in the North. When he said to his sister, “You’ve become old,” she replied with her eyes moist that, “I’ve lived so long just to meet with you again here today.”

While many families could not help but shed tears, some families were full of joy and smiles.

Seo Jin-ho, an 87-year-old, immediately held the hands of his two separated little brothers in joy and said, “The brothers are finally reunited!”

The oldest person to participate in this reunion, 101-year-old Baik Sung-gyu, entered the hall in a wheelchair with his son and granddaughter. His daughter-in-law and granddaughter from the North stood by his wheelchair and wailed while Baik kept a happy smile on his face until the meeting ended.

After the group reunion, the families had a welcome dinner together.

On the second day of the event, Aug. 21, the families will meet each other in private rooms over a meal.

On the final day, Aug. 22, they will meet for the last time and have a final lunch together in groups and then return home.

A subsequent reunion will take place from Aug. 24 to 26 in which 83 North Koreans will meet their families living in the South. For this reunion, too, South Koreans will travel to the Mount Kumgang resort to meet their relatives.

km137426@korea.kr