President Moon Jae-in, during his weekly meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 20, said that he, too, sympathizes with the separated families, being from one himself, and called for efforts to hold regular exchanges between the families separated by the Korean War (1950-1953). (Cheong Wa Dae)

President Moon Jae-in, during his weekly meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 20, said that he, too, sympathizes with the separated families, being from one himself, and called for efforts to hold regular exchanges between the families separated by the Korean War (1950-1953). (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Kim Min-Jeung

During his weekly meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 20, President Moon Jae-in stated that South and North Korea should take steps to expand reunions of families separated by the Korean War (1950-1953), and that they should be the priority among the humanitarian issues they discuss.

“Inter-Korean family reunions took place at the Mount Kumkang resort today,” said President Moon. He then mentioned people who could not be included in the family reunions today, saying that, “I sympathize deeply with the separated families, being from one myself.” The president then called for efforts to hold regular exchanges of families separated by the Korean War.

Finally, the president stressed that, “They must take steps to expand not only regular family reunions, but also video conferencing-based reunions, around-the-clock reunions, letter exchanges and visits to hometowns.”

jer2co@korea.kr