Number of South Koreans with Family in North Korea Declines to Under 33,000
The number of South Koreans with family members separated in North Korea due to the 1950-53 Korean War has fallen to less than 33,000. Data released by the unification ministry, submitted to Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party, indicates that as of late August, only 32,948 of the 134,848 registered individuals with separated family members are still alive. A significant majority of these survivors, two-thirds, are aged 80 or older, with 10,945 individuals between 80 and 89, and 11,007 aged 90 and above. Approximately 3,000 individuals with family in the North die each year. The last time South Korea facilitated reunions for separated families was in August 2018, and ongoing inter-Korean tensions have made further reunions difficult.
