SOKCHO, Gangwon Province ― More than 390 South Koreans arrived at a hotel here on Monday to make final preparations for one of the most emotional events of their lives ― reuniting with their relatives in the North whom they were separated from some six decades ago.

A day before the reunions at Mount Geumgangsan on the North’s east coast, 393 people gathered at Hanwha Resorts where they were briefed on various matters including the detailed schedule of the reunions that were last held in February 2014.

<YONHAP PHOTO-2287> 배우자 만나러 온 이순규 할머니 (속초=연합뉴스) 김도훈 기자 = 제20차 이산가족 상봉을 하루 앞둔 19일 오후 강원도 속초시 한화리조트에서 이순규(85) 할머니가 이산가족 접수를 하고 있다. 이 할머니는 이번 상봉행사에서 북측에 있는 남편 오인세(83) 할아버지를 만난다. 남북 이산가족 상봉행사에 참가하는 남측 가족들은 이날 속초한화리조트에 집결해 방북과 이산가족 상봉행사 절차 등에 대한 교육을 받고 다음날 오전 동해선 육로를 통해 금강산으로 이동해 꿈에 그리던 가족들을 만난다. 2015.10.19 superdoo82@yna.co.kr/2015-10-19 14:42:22/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2015 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> Lee Soon-gyu (center, sitting), 85, is surrounded by officials and the press as she registers with the Korean Red Cross on Monday at Hanwha Resorts in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, where the participants gathered for the separated family reunions to be held at Mount Geumgangsan in North Korea from Tuesday. Lee is set to be reunited with her husband Oh In-se, 83. Yonhap
배우자 만나러 온 이순규 할머니 (속초=연합뉴스) 김도훈 기자 = 제20차 이산가족 상봉을 하루 앞둔 19일 오후 강원도 속초시 한화리조트에서 이순규(85) 할머니가 이산가족 접수를 하고 있다. 이 할머니는 이번 상봉행사에서 북측에 있는 남편 오인세(83) 할아버지를 만난다. 남북 이산가족 상봉행사에 참가하는 남측 가족들은 이날 속초한화리조트에 집결해 방북과 이산가족 상봉행사 절차 등에 대한 교육을 받고 다음날 오전 동해선 육로를 통해 금강산으로 이동해 꿈에 그리던 가족들을 만난다. 2015.10.19 superdoo82@yna.co.kr/2015-10-19 14:42:22/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2015 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> Lee Soon-gyu (center, sitting), 85, is surrounded by officials and the press as she registers with the Korean Red Cross on Monday at Hanwha Resorts in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, where the participants gathered for the separated family reunions to be held at Mount Geumgangsan in North Korea from Tuesday. Lee is set to be reunited with her husband Oh In-se, 83. Yonhap

The three-day reunions, which were arranged as part of the Aug. 25 deal to defuse cross-border tensions, will take place in two separate rounds. The first round will begin Tuesday and last until Thursday, while the second will run from Saturday to next Monday.

Those who came here Monday were given the chance to attend the first round, as 96 families living in the North, which Pyongyang has selected, have sought to rendezvous with them.

During the second round, 255 people from 90 families, which the South’s Red Cross selected through a computer lottery, will meet their relatives in the North.

On Tuesday, they will travel to the mountain resort across the heavily fortified border via bus. They will be accompanied by 143 people including the medical staff and 29 press people.

Seoul officials have paid particular attention to the health of old participants. The oldest South Korean participant is Kim Nam-kyu, who is 99 years old. He is to meet his long-lost sister Kim Nam-dong, 83.

During the three-day program, the participants have six meetings with their relatives, for two hours each session. They will meet for two group reunions, a welcome reception, one individual gathering, one joint dinner session and a farewell.

Since August 2008, the two Koreas have held family reunions in the North 19 times. They have also held video-linked reunions seven times in that time.

The reunion program began after the two sides agreed to “promptly address” bilateral humanitarian issues during an inter-Korean summit in June 2000. A total of 22,547 South and North Koreans have attended the reunions.

By Song Sang-ho and Joint Press Corps ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com