South Koreans with family in North Korea fall below 33,000

SEOUL — The number of South Koreans still living with family members in North Korea after being separated during the 1950-53 Korean War has fallen below 33,000, local media reported Sunday.Data from South Korea’s Unification Ministry showed that two-thirds of surviving members of separated families are aged 80 or older, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency.As of August, 134,848 people had registered as having family members from whom they were separated in North Korea, but only 32,948 remained alive.Among the survivors, 10,945 were aged between 80 and 89, while 11,007 were 90 or older.The data showed that around 3,000 registered members of separated families die each year, adding urgency to efforts to resume reunions.“As not much time remains for separated families, the Unification Ministry must start preparing now so that inter-Korean dialogue can be discussed as a priority agenda item in the event talks resume between North Korea and the United States,” said Woo Won-shik, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party who also has family in North Korea.The Korean War left families divided across the border, while decades of tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have made regular reunions difficult.The two Koreas last held reunions for separated families in 2018.