South Korea and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sunday agreed to establish a reunion center for the separated families, according to the South Korean delegation to the inter-Korean Red Cross talks.
The agreement was clinched at the last-minute negotiation of the three-day meeting of the inter-Korean Red Cross Societies at Mount Geumgang in DPRK, South Korean Red Cross President Suh Young-hoon was quoted by South Korean national news agency Yonhap News as saying.
The two sides agreed to build a family reunion center at Geumgang Mountain. They also agreed to discuss issues relevant to the building of another center near the Gyeongui Railway, which connects Seoul and DPRK's Shinuiju, after the construction work ofthe inter-Korean railways and roads are completed.
South Korea will offer construction materials for building the Geumgang Mountain family reunion center, while DPRK will provide labor forces.
Before the construction work ends, the two sides will continue to use Geumgang Mountain Hotel as the temporary venue for the family reunions, reported Yonhap.
The two sides also fixed the dates for the fifth round of inter-Korean separated family reunions, which will be held at Geumgang Mountain from Sept. 13 to Sept. 18.
The fourth reunion of separated families was taken place in May 2002, just after South Korea President Kim Dae-jung's special envoy Lim Dong-won paid a visit to Pyongyang, during which South Korea and DPRK agreed to revive inter-Korean ties at all aspects.
(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2002)
|