Posted September. 24, 2000 21:17,
Red Cross officials from the two Koreas agreed on six points, including the exchange of the rosters of 100 applicants for the determination of the whereabouts of their displaced relatives in September and October.
The accord came at the end of the second round of Red Cross talks held at Geumgangsan Hotel Saturday. The number of applications for finding dispersed families on both sides of the Korean demarcation line will be increased gradually.
Under the agreement, 300 persons whose fate and whereabouts have been confirmed will open correspondence with their relatives "for starters," and the number will also be increased gradually. It was also agreed that an additional 100 persons each from the South and the North would visit Pyongyang and Seoul for 3-day family reunions Nov.2-4 and Dec.5-7.
The government and the Korea National Red Cross here are preparing to set up a task force to deal with affairs related to family reunions and hammer out other follow-up measures. In identifying and locating divided family members, the Unification Ministry must work in conjunction with the Ministry of Information and Communication, the National Police and other agencies concerned, sources said. Their combined coordination is necessary to carry out the task of identifying and locating the many displaced persons on a continuing basis, for the long-overdue family reunions must go on indefinitely.