Family Reunions Day 2: Separated families to meet for five hours on Tuesday
- 6 years ago
Koreans torn apart at the onset of the Korean War in the early 1950s are getting ready for their second day of reunion events.
The first day was bittersweet for the participants,... as their soaked in every precious moment with each other... knowing they probably won't get another chance like this again.
Let's turn to our Park Hee-jun who's covering the event for us this week.
Hee-jun, the first day of the reunion was a tearjerker for all invovled and for everyone watching the footage.
Tell us more about what it was like.
Mark. The events that unfolded on Monday were definitely something difficult to watch without tears and emotion.
I'm very happy for the families that were reunited once again.
Yesterday, the selected 89 South Koreans were able to spend time with their relatives during the group reunion and welcoming dinner.
They were reunited with their husbands, wives, siblings, and children,... memories of whom had become faint during the almost 70 years they were apart.
But the phrase family is family certainly rings true because even after all those years, they still recognized each other almost instantly.
They were busy catching up on each other's lives and cherishing the long-awaited moment.
But while some talked endlessly,... others were unable to speak as they struggled to hold back their emotions.
By the time they were at the welcoming banquet,... the atmosphere became calmer.
Families were feeding each other dinner, recalling the last memories they shared before being torn apart by the Korean War.
Unfortunately, they only had four hours together yesterday, which is way too short.
They'll be eagerly waiting for the next round of reunions today.
Yes, most of us would agree that they should get more time and freedom to talk and spend time together. I'd imagine most of them had a sleepless night though,... eagerly anticipating today. Heejun,... what's the plan for day 2 and the remainder of this batch of reunions?
During the three day reunion,... families get to meet on a total of six occasions.
Now they'll have four more times to spend time with each other.
Today, after breakfast,... participants will get another two-hour long reunion at 10 AM, Korea time.
Only this time, it will be a private reunion in their rooms,... to allow the families to enjoy more intimate conversations.
And for the very first time,... families get to have lunch separately with their relatives, which will also take place in their rooms.
Then after lunch,... there will be a joint reunion in the public meeting room again like yesterday.
This one also lasting for two hours.
That will be the last schedule for today.
This is a temporary reunion.
On Wednesday,.... there will be one last time for them to spend together, before the South Korean participants head back to the South.
They'll have to part from their beloved relatives once more,... but the families are generally are happy and grateful that they are among the lucky ones that can see the
The first day was bittersweet for the participants,... as their soaked in every precious moment with each other... knowing they probably won't get another chance like this again.
Let's turn to our Park Hee-jun who's covering the event for us this week.
Hee-jun, the first day of the reunion was a tearjerker for all invovled and for everyone watching the footage.
Tell us more about what it was like.
Mark. The events that unfolded on Monday were definitely something difficult to watch without tears and emotion.
I'm very happy for the families that were reunited once again.
Yesterday, the selected 89 South Koreans were able to spend time with their relatives during the group reunion and welcoming dinner.
They were reunited with their husbands, wives, siblings, and children,... memories of whom had become faint during the almost 70 years they were apart.
But the phrase family is family certainly rings true because even after all those years, they still recognized each other almost instantly.
They were busy catching up on each other's lives and cherishing the long-awaited moment.
But while some talked endlessly,... others were unable to speak as they struggled to hold back their emotions.
By the time they were at the welcoming banquet,... the atmosphere became calmer.
Families were feeding each other dinner, recalling the last memories they shared before being torn apart by the Korean War.
Unfortunately, they only had four hours together yesterday, which is way too short.
They'll be eagerly waiting for the next round of reunions today.
Yes, most of us would agree that they should get more time and freedom to talk and spend time together. I'd imagine most of them had a sleepless night though,... eagerly anticipating today. Heejun,... what's the plan for day 2 and the remainder of this batch of reunions?
During the three day reunion,... families get to meet on a total of six occasions.
Now they'll have four more times to spend time with each other.
Today, after breakfast,... participants will get another two-hour long reunion at 10 AM, Korea time.
Only this time, it will be a private reunion in their rooms,... to allow the families to enjoy more intimate conversations.
And for the very first time,... families get to have lunch separately with their relatives, which will also take place in their rooms.
Then after lunch,... there will be a joint reunion in the public meeting room again like yesterday.
This one also lasting for two hours.
That will be the last schedule for today.
This is a temporary reunion.
On Wednesday,.... there will be one last time for them to spend together, before the South Korean participants head back to the South.
They'll have to part from their beloved relatives once more,... but the families are generally are happy and grateful that they are among the lucky ones that can see the