Profiles on reunion applicants exchanged

South and North Korean Red Cross officials yesterday exchanged at Panmunjom information on whether their 200 respective candidates for the Aug. 15 reunion of separated families are living or deceased.

Government officials said that the North Korean Red Cross reported that 138 of the 200 applicants were alive. North Korean officials said they would later inform the South of the status of the remaining 62, who are currently being investigated. The South gave the North a list of 198 people who were confirmed to be alive.

With the North proposing to relay additional information on the whereabouts of its applicants, Park Ki-Ryun, secretary-general of the Korea National Red Cross (KNRC), said the two Koreas were planning to postpone the fourth meeting on the selection of reunion applicants, originally scheduled for July 28, for about one week. Park added that the meeting would be held Aug. 4 at the latest and said that the 100 final candidates from each side would be decided on.

Park further said that the KNRC would not publicize the names of the 138 candidates whose status has been confirmed or contact their family members individually until the list of 100 finalists is completed.