Delegations from the two Koreas are set to meet once again today for Red Cross talks.
Top of the agenda is arranging reunions of separated families,... but other humanitarian issues could be discussed as well.
Let's connect to our Unification Ministry correspondent, Oh Jung-hee,... who's following the story at Seoul's Office for Inter-Korean Dialogue.
Jung-hee, what can you tell us?
Good morning, Mark.
Like you mentioned,... the two Koreas are holding their Red Cross Talks today.
They are going to meet at North Korea's Mount Kumgang... to discuss humanitarian issues including the reunions of families separated by the Korean War.
South Korea is sending a four-member delegation led by the President of the South Korean Red Cross, Park Kyung-seo.
North Korea sent the list of its delegates early this morning -- the delegation has three members and is led by Pak Yong-il, the vice chairman of the North's reunification committee.
The South Korean delegation left Seoul yesterday afternoon.
They spent the night in the northeastern county of Goseong in Gangwon-do Province... and will cross the inter-Korean land border at 8:20 AM... so in around 80 minutes from now.
Take a look at what the South Korean delegation had to say upon their departure:
"I hope to have good discussions with the North on humanitarian issues -- especially resolving the sorrow of over 57-thousand separated family members in South Korea."
So Jung-hee, we can take from that comment... that setting up these family reunions is going to be the main agenda at today's talks....
You're right.
The main agenda on the table is setting the schedules for the family reunions.
The leaders of Seoul and Pyongyang agreed at their summit talks in April to hold reunions for separated families on August 15th -- National Liberation Day.
If the reunion event is to take place, this will be the first time in three years since the last event in October 2015.
Over 132-thousand people are registered as separated from their family members... but among them, only 56-thousand are still alive... and among those, 85-percent are over 70 years old.
South Korea is likely to suggest that the North allow separated family members to exchange letters and visit their hometowns,... but it's unclear whether Pyongyang will accept the proposal.
We also can't rule out the possibility of delegations discussing some other humanitarian issues at today's talks -- like releasing South Korean detainees in the North... and Seoul providing humanitarian assistance to Pyongyang through the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
Mark.
