South Korea’s President has proposed that the rival Koreas would hold reunions of Korean War—divided families on a regular basis.
South Korea has made similar proposals in the past, but President Park Geun—hye’s latest overture today came after the two Koreas last month held their first reunions of families separated by the 1950—53 Korean War in more than three years.
President Park said that more regular family reunions should be held because time is running out for elderly people separated by the war and politics. Her speech marks Korea’s 1919 uprising against Japan’s colonial rule.
Analysts say North Korea has been reluctant to increase family reunions due to worries that doing so could open the country to influence from more affluent South Korea and threaten its grip on power.