ROK pushes to hold video reunion of separated families at earliest possible date

SEOUL -- The unification ministry of the Republic of Korea (ROK) said Monday that it has been pushing to hold the video reunion of Korean families, separated across the border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at an earliest possible date.

Baik Tae-hyun, ROK's unification ministry spokesman, told a press briefing that the ROK has been in close consultations with the United States since late last year about the issue.

Based on the consultations, the ROK will make efforts to hold the video reunion as soon as possible, Baik noted.

Seoul had pushed to hold the video reunion around the Lunar New Year's Day traditional holiday that falls on next week.

However, it seemed hard to be materialized as time is needed to win sanctions exemptions for equipment necessary to be sent to the DPRK for the video reunion.

After their third summit in Pyongyang in September last year, ROK President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un agreed to cooperate in allowing the separated Korean families to hold the video reunion and exchange video messages.

Since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice, people of the two Koreas have been banned from contacting and meeting each other.

Following the first-ever inter-Korean summit in 2000, 21 rounds of face-to-face family reunions were held, including the latest in August last year.