Seoul and Pyongyang plan to finalize by Saturday a list of 100 people from each side who will participate in the reunion for families separated by the Korean War.
The reunion event to be held from August 20 to 26, is a follow-up on the agreements made between the Republic of Korea's (ROK) President Moon Jae-in and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un during their summit in April.
Goodwill messages are seen inside the reunion center at the Korea Red Cross headquarters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
Goodwill messages are seen inside the reunion center at the Korea Red Cross headquarters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
The DPRK and ROK hold Red Cross talks to discuss resuming reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War on June 22, 2018. /VCG Photo
The DPRK and ROK hold Red Cross talks to discuss resuming reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War on June 22, 2018. /VCG Photo
The ROK's Yoo Ki-Jin, 93 talks with Red Cross officer as he fills out application forms to reunite with his family mambers living in the DPRK, at the Korea Red Cross headquarters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
The ROK's Yoo Ki-Jin, 93 talks with Red Cross officer as he fills out application forms to reunite with his family mambers living in the DPRK, at the Korea Red Cross headquarters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
The Video reunion center is seen at the Korea Red Cross headquaters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
The Video reunion center is seen at the Korea Red Cross headquaters on June 22, 2018 in Seoul, ROK. /VCG Photo
Checking venue for family reunions the ROK's officials cross into the DPRK on the east coast on June 27, 2018. /VCG Photo
Checking venue for family reunions the ROK's officials cross into the DPRK on the east coast on June 27, 2018. /VCG Photo
Officials of the ROK and the DPRK exchange the results of their weeks long search for families separated by the Korean War at the truce village of Panmunjom on July 25, 2018. /VCG Photo
Officials of the ROK and the DPRK exchange the results of their weeks long search for families separated by the Korean War at the truce village of Panmunjom on July 25, 2018. /VCG Photo
Fewer than 60,000 remain
The lucky few are just a fraction of the 59,037 surviving ROK's registered family members, according to the Ministry of Unification (MOU) statistics published in January.
While 2017 witnessed 194 new applicants, at least 4000 of existing registered members passed away in 2017, said the MOU.
The decline is likely to continue with an increasingly aging population of registered participants.
About 130,000 ROK individuals were initially registered as members of separated families, however, Korea Red Cross said half have already passed away, 67% of them dying at the age of 80 or older.
The MOU's data showed a total of 61.7% of individuals on the registered list as of 2017 were 80 or older, with 18.9% aged 90 or over.
Only 15% of those on the list are 60 or younger.
In the ROK, hopeful participants are picked at random by a computer which takes into account their age and family background. They also sit for interviews and take medical examinations to determine if they are fit to travel.
The DPRK is believed to give priority to people deemed loyal to the government when making its selection for participants.
The 21st face-to-face chance
In today's world, it costs nothing to talk to someone anywhere in the world but for two Korea's separated families; the chance to talk or meet with own family members is similar to winning the lottery.
There have only been 20 brief reunions events since the end of the war in 1953.
Thus, the reunions are painfully brief, lasting only a few days before the families are separated once again.
For the last round of reunion in October 2015, only 100 ROK's people were chosen and of those, 10 have since died or become too ill to travel.
The meetings are limited to six two-hours.
The ROK's side has approved 2.93 million US dollars for family reunions last month and a team of officials, businesses, and workers has also been dispatched to the Kumkangsan area since July 9 to work on repairing the reunion venue.
The DPRK's Koo Song Ok kisses her ROK's father Koo Sang-yeon as they bid farewell to each other during the separated family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort, DPRK, October 26, 2015. /VCG Photo
The DPRK's Koo Song Ok kisses her ROK's father Koo Sang-yeon as they bid farewell to each other during the separated family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort, DPRK, October 26, 2015. /VCG Photo
The ROK's Jung Kun Mok (L) wipes tears from his DPRK's mother Lee Bok Sun during the separated family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort, DPRK, October 24, 2015. /VCG Photo
The ROK's Jung Kun Mok (L) wipes tears from his DPRK's mother Lee Bok Sun during the separated family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort, DPRK, October 24, 2015. /VCG Photo
The ROK's aboard a bus wave goodbye to their DPRK's relatives as they leave a family reunion at the resort area of Mount Kumgang, DPRK on February 22, 2014. /VCG Photo
The ROK's aboard a bus wave goodbye to their DPRK's relatives as they leave a family reunion at the resort area of Mount Kumgang, DPRK on February 22, 2014. /VCG Photo
Im Sun-jae (2nd from L) from the DPRK toasts with his brothers and sisters from the ROK at a hotel in the resort of Mount Kumgang on the DPRK's east coast on Oct. 31, 2018. /VCG Photo
Im Sun-jae (2nd from L) from the DPRK toasts with his brothers and sisters from the ROK at a hotel in the resort of Mount Kumgang on the DPRK's east coast on Oct. 31, 2018. /VCG Photo
People from the DPRK wave farewell to their ROK's relatives after the separated family reunion meeting at the Mount Kumgang resort on September 28, 2009 in Mount Kumgang, DPRK. /VCG Photo
People from the DPRK wave farewell to their ROK's relatives after the separated family reunion meeting at the Mount Kumgang resort on September 28, 2009 in Mount Kumgang, DPRK. /VCG Photo
A DPRK's woman holds her ROK's father's hand during the first round of thirteen separated Family's Reunion Meetings at KumKang Mountain, DPRK on March 20, 2006. /VCG Photo
A DPRK's woman holds her ROK's father's hand during the first round of thirteen separated Family's Reunion Meetings at KumKang Mountain, DPRK on March 20, 2006. /VCG Photo
However, on July 20th the DPRK's side threatened to cancel the planned reunion event unless the ROK would return some of its citizens who arrived in the ROK in recent years.
Seoul's MOU did not make any comments on it while ROK's National Human Rights Commission later announced plans to investigate the matter.
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