Separated families spend more quality time on second day of reunions
- 6 years ago
We begin with news on the ongoing inter-Korean family reunions.
Today was the second day for the second set of families,... and it was another day full of emotions,... especially as the participants were given more quality time with their long-lost relatives.
Let's turn to our Park Hee-jun, who has been covering the story in Sokcho, near the inter-Korean border.
Hee-jun, tell us more about today's reunion...
Ji-won.
Today the separated families got to spend five hours together.
But Saturday's schedule has already come to an end,... and the participants are edging ever closer to having to say goodbye,... probably for the last time ever on Sunday.
Nonetheless, today was an extra-special day for the reunited families,... as they were able to spend some quality time alone in their rooms.
They had three hours away from South and North Korean officials and the press.
They were able to share more comfortably,... the deeply-buried stories they'd been desperate to share.
Afterwards they had more time together at the group session held at the reunion center.
We're hearing from the press pool at Mount Kumgang that the room was full of laughter as the families have become more comfortable with each other.
They took polaroid pictures and even enjoyed some alcohol.
But some of the families began tearing up already... at the thought of being separated again after such a short amount of time together.
There was also an unfortunate incident earlier today as one of the South Korean participants had to return to the South.
She was transferred to the hospital after the individual session wrapped up due to ill health.
Her husband accompanied her,... so now that leaves 324 participants from South Korea.
After tonight,... the families will only have three more hours to be with each other.
During the event,... they're only allowed a total of twelve hours to make up for the lost time of nearly 70 years.
After the farewell reunion and lunch,... the South Korean participants will arrive back here in Sokcho on Sunday afternoon.
And we don't have to see it.... to know how hard and painful it's going to be for the participants to say goodbye,... knowing they'll most likely never see each other again.
I’ll be back with more updates tomorrow.
Ji-won.
Today was the second day for the second set of families,... and it was another day full of emotions,... especially as the participants were given more quality time with their long-lost relatives.
Let's turn to our Park Hee-jun, who has been covering the story in Sokcho, near the inter-Korean border.
Hee-jun, tell us more about today's reunion...
Ji-won.
Today the separated families got to spend five hours together.
But Saturday's schedule has already come to an end,... and the participants are edging ever closer to having to say goodbye,... probably for the last time ever on Sunday.
Nonetheless, today was an extra-special day for the reunited families,... as they were able to spend some quality time alone in their rooms.
They had three hours away from South and North Korean officials and the press.
They were able to share more comfortably,... the deeply-buried stories they'd been desperate to share.
Afterwards they had more time together at the group session held at the reunion center.
We're hearing from the press pool at Mount Kumgang that the room was full of laughter as the families have become more comfortable with each other.
They took polaroid pictures and even enjoyed some alcohol.
But some of the families began tearing up already... at the thought of being separated again after such a short amount of time together.
There was also an unfortunate incident earlier today as one of the South Korean participants had to return to the South.
She was transferred to the hospital after the individual session wrapped up due to ill health.
Her husband accompanied her,... so now that leaves 324 participants from South Korea.
After tonight,... the families will only have three more hours to be with each other.
During the event,... they're only allowed a total of twelve hours to make up for the lost time of nearly 70 years.
After the farewell reunion and lunch,... the South Korean participants will arrive back here in Sokcho on Sunday afternoon.
And we don't have to see it.... to know how hard and painful it's going to be for the participants to say goodbye,... knowing they'll most likely never see each other again.
I’ll be back with more updates tomorrow.
Ji-won.