Sleepless in Pyongyang

Kang Ki-Joo, who met his second son Kyung-Hi in Pyongyang after 50 years of separation, could not sleep a wink last night. The 4 days he spent with Kyung-Hi, who he waited so long to see, have passed by too quickly. This night could well be the last time he will see his son.

Kang, the eldest among the South Korean visitors, kept stroking his son`s wrinkled face on the last day of the reunion, regretting the fact that it would soon be all over. He wanted to collect as many memories of his son as he could before leaving.

After hearing that he was selected to be a member of the Pyongyang separated families delegation, Kang did not skip a meal and even began exercising in order to keep himself healthy for the trip. On the first day of the reunion, Kang could not hold back his tears as he hugged his son, now a grandfather like him. Kang kept asking himself whether this was a dream or reality.

Despite his good health, the shock from the reunion and the hectic schedule seemed to have taken a toll on his body. From the first day he met his son, Kang has not been able to eat properly. He presented Kyung-hi with a wristwatch he had purchased 10 years ago in Japan for him.

He remarked that the 4 days with his son will always remain with him. He lay awake all night on August 17, apparently thinking that this would make his time with his son last longer.