Early Edition 18:00 Two Koreas hold family reunions on Thursday
The two Koreas have opened their first round of reunions for families separated by the Korean War in more than three years. More than 80 South Koreans arrived in the North on Thursday. Some meet with relatives they haven't seen in more than 60 years,... or in some cases never. Kim Ji-yeon reports on the highly-emotional event that the participants have been waiting all their lives for. "Thank god you're still alive." These were the first words from 52-year-old South Korean Park Yang-gon as he embraced his North Korean elder brother Park Yang-su for the first time in decades. Park Yang-gon was one of the South Korean individuals chosen to travel to North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort on Thursday to meet with long-lost family. They represent the first cross-border reunions in more than three years. Park's elder brother was taken to North Korea while sailing on a ship in 1972... and for more than four decades, his family didn't hear a single word from him--until today. Leading up to Thursday's meeting, Park struggled to put his feelings into words. "My parents passed away not knowing how their son was doing. My parents couldn't tell anyone what they were really feeling. The feeling of losing your child like this isn't something one can fully comprehend." Park and 81 others from the South are scheduled to meet with separated family members on six separate occasions over the next three days... for a total of 11 hours... before returning to South Korea Saturday afternoon. The second round of reunions will begin one day later and run through Tuesday,... where 88 North Koreans will reunite with around 360 of their estranged relatives from the South. There are currently tens of thousands of South Koreans on a waiting list to meet one last time with their loved ones in the North, and hope is dwindling. Many of those seeking reunions are well into their 80s and 90s, and many more have already passed away, never getting that final chance to speak to and embrace those they love... and miss... the most. Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News. Title: Chinese Vice FM to arrive in Seoul after visit to Pyongyang A top Chinese official who visited Pyongyang this week is scheduled to arrive in Seoul later on this Thursday, raising speculation that progress is being made in international efforts to denuclearize North Korea. An official at the South's foreign ministry confirmed Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmen's three-day visit to Seoul until Saturday, where he will meet with a number of officials here, including the chief negotiator to the six-party nuclear talks. Liu's trip to Pyongyang has been closely watched, especially since it came after the top diplomats of Beijing and Washington recently said they exchanged proposals on ways to spur the North to disarm its nuclear weapons. And whatever was discussed between the two ministers was likely relayed to Pyongyang by Liu, and he is expected to give details of his North Korea trip in Seoul.
