Few Influential NK Figures for 5th Family Reunion

The Korea National Red Cross is reported to propose North Korea to hold the 5th family reunion for six days from Sep 13 to Sep 18 in Mt. Geumgang in North Korea.

In response, North Korea suggested to discuss the specific timetable in the 4th Red Cross meeting slated for Sep 4 to Sep 6.

A ranking official of the Red Cross said, "We proposed to hold the 5th family reunion starting from Sep 13 in the process of contacting the North Korea liaison officer. North Korea agreed that the reunion be held before Chusok, but did not want to set the date."

The South Korean Red Cross sent a telephone message to Chang Jae-eon, chief of the North Korean Red Cross on the 24th and notified the list of the South Korean delegates to the family reunion. The South Korean delegation 5 officials including Suh Yeong-hun, chairman of the Red Cross, 17 back-up agents and 10 reporters.

Earlier, South and North Korea exchanged the lists of the participants in the 5th family reunion through liaison officers in the truce village of Panmunjom and release them on the 24th. The South Korean government and the Red Cross began working to confirm whether the separated families on the list want to meet their long-lost kin. The two Koreas are expected to exchange the lists of separated family members who are still alive on Sep 5. The South Korean Red Cross delivered the list of 200 candidates selected by computer lot, and its North Korea counterpart notified South Korea of the 120 candidates, who were left out of the 2nd and 3rd family reunions.

As North Korea sent only the list of only 120 candidates, far fewer than 200, the initially set number of candidates, questions have been raised whether North Korea is truly willing to promote the additional round of family reunion.

Meanwhile, Lee Gyu-yeon, 82, the oldest North Korean candidate hopes to meet his daughters living in South Korea, Lee Gi-tak, 74, Son Yun-mo, 68 and Shing Myung-gyun, 71, who were left of the 3rd family reunion are included in the candidate list for the 5th reunion.

Unlike in the past, the candidate list from North Korea does not include many of influential figures. Amount the North Korean candidates are Bae Jae-in, 66, the principal of one of North Korea`s prominent high schools and Ha Young-sun, 73, member of the 1st People`s Supreme Council.

In the North Korean list, 47 are in their 60s, 69 in their 70s and 4 in their 80s while 31 are in their 60s, 70 in their 70s and 80 in their 80s in the South Korean list.

Young-Sik Kim spear@donga.com