1.
1. The issue of separated family members
After the meeting between Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Chairman Kim Jong-il on June 17, 2005, reunion of separated family members between the two Koreas, which had been suspended for one year, was resumed along with the initiation of a video reunion using information communication technology.
With the construction of a Family Reunion Center at Mt. Geumgang on August 31, reunion of separated family members will be made possible via a variety of channels, including reunion at Mt. Geumgang, video conferencing unions and reunion at the Family Reunion Center at Mt.Geumgang. Senior separated family members with difficulties in moving can be reunited with their lost family members via a video reunion at the closet reunion center of the South Korean Red Cross. 13 reunion centers are now operating in 9 areas including Seoul and the Jeju Island. Especially, separated family members can be reunited while staying and having meals together at the Family Reunion Center. The 12-story Center accommodating thousands of people will be completed during year 2007, after 20 months of construction period.
With two rounds of reunion at Mt. Geumgang and three rounds of video reunions, a total of 600 families from both Koreas were reunited on 2005 alone. Up to now, through 12 rounds of family reunions, 11,788 family members have been reunited and 29,705 Koreans have confirmed the fates of their lost family members. However, considering 100,000 candidates waiting for their participation in reunions, the reunion opportunities should be expanded and the government will make its best efforts to this end.
On the other hand, the government has plans to make more visual letters and convey them and make efforts to ensure that already reunited separated family members can continue to exchange letters.
2. The issues related to the prisoners of war and abductees
This year at the 15th round of the Ministerial-level talks and the 6th Red Cross Talks the issues concerning the prisoners of war and abductees have been discussed for the first time in about 50 years time based on the strengthened inter-Korean relations after the 6.17 meeting.
Because these issues require North Korea's acknowledgement and cooperation, reaching an agreement on the issues will be possible through reconciliation and mutual trust.
Even before the agreement on the problems related to the prisoners of war and the abductees is reached between the two Koreas, efforts will be continued to create an opportunity for the reunion of the family members of the prisoners of war and abductees along with the separated family members.
So far the request for the fates of 50 prisoners of war and abductees have been sent to North Korea and among those 11 abductees to North Korea and 9 prisoners of war have been identified as alive and reunited with other family members.
The South Korean government recognizes the problems related to the prisoners of war and abductees as one of its basic responsibilities to protect its people and will continue to make its gravest efforts in the future.
3. Humanitarian aid to North Korea and North Korean defectors
The South Korean government continues its efforts of humanitarian aid to resolve the issues related to survival, such as shortage of food, deriving from the difficult living situations in North Korea, and relieve the sufferings of North Korean defectors on a national and humanitarian ground.
Concerning the North Korean defectors, the South Korean government is working to accept all North Korean defectors wishing to enter South Korea, providing basic support for North Korean defectors settling in South Korea, and promoting economic cooperation and providing financial support to North Korea to fundamentally solve the issue of the North Korean defectors.
This year a total of approximately 1,130 citizens escaped North Korea into South Korea and currently a total of 7,430 North Koreans reside in South Korea. Approximately 40~50 billion Korean won (U.S.$ 40-50 million) from the National budget is being spent annually on supporting North Korean defectors in South Korea.
South Korea is currently providing 400,000~500,000 tons of food and 300,000 tons of fertilizers to North Korea to fundamentally solve the problems of North Korean defectors and to enhance the living standards of North Koreans. In addition, the South Korean government has made plans to support the ailing sanitation and medical fields that have resulted from the perennial shortage of food and to increase support for children.
This year the government has supported U.S.$1.81million through the WHO and UNICEF to prevent the spread of Malaria in North Korea, to provide children's medical equipments and medicine, and for the treatment of tuberculosis. The three parties including the South Korean government, the WHO, and North Korea will conduct negotiations beginning from next year to support North Korea's infants.
