North Korean Man Waves As South Korean Man Weeps During Temporary Family Reunion
A North Korean man (right) on a bus waves his hand as a South Korean man weeps after a luncheon meeting during inter-Korean temporary family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort October 31, 2010. Four hundred and thirty-six South Koreans visited the North for three days, to meet their 97 North Korean relatives, whom they have been separated from since the 1950-53 war.
The reunions were first established in the mid 1980's; a quasi-lottery system allowing South Koreans temporary access to see their families in the North. Since the 2000 inter-Korean event, more than 125,000 South Koreans were on the waiting list for reunions. Almost 4,000 Koreans die each year, missing their chance.