Unification Minister Chung Dong-young visits a separated member of the family in northern Seoul who was pressured to interrupt from her family in North Korea through the 1950-53 Korean Warfare, Dec. 24, 2025. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification
Greater than 100,000 South Koreans who registered as having members of the family in North Korea separated by the 1950-53 Korean Warfare have died of outdated age, authorities information confirmed Thursday, highlighting the urgency of arranging household reunions.
Of the overall 134,516 individuals registered as separated households, 101,148 have died as of the top of 2025, in response to the unification ministry information.
Two individuals newly registered final month as having members of the family separated within the North, whereas 292 others died, leaving solely 34,368 survivors, down 2,573 from the top of 2024.
The brutal three-year civil struggle left many individuals separated from their households, whereas ongoing inter-Korean tensions have lengthy halted once-regular household reunion occasions with family within the North.
With household reunions remaining halted, round 200 individuals die every month whereas ready to reunite with family within the North.
Just one South Korean succeeded final 12 months in reaching out to a member of the family in North Korea and confirmed the relative’s whereabouts by privately organized help, in an distinctive case, the ministry mentioned.
The individual, a former North Korean who defected to the South, realized concerning the whereabouts of a son in North Korea by a dealer in China.
North Korean defectors with members of the family separated within the North are additionally formally categorized as separated households, in response to the ministry.
South Korea final hosted reunions of households separated within the South and North in August 2018.
