South, North exchange lists of separated families

Liaison officials of the South and North Korean Red Cross societies met at the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday and exchanged the results of their searches into the whereabouts of the 200 listed candidates for the inter-Korean reunions of divided families slated for Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

(South) Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) officials received a list of 127 people from the North Korean side whose whereabouts were established. The North Korean side notified the South that it is still confirming the survival of the remaining 73 people, adding that if and when their whereabouts are discovered, it will inform the South of its findings.

For its part, the KNRC handed to the North a list of 195 people whose survival has been confirmed. With the exchange of lists between the two Koreas, the second round of the family reunion program is expected to proceed as scheduled without a hitch, regardless of Pyongyang's denunciation of KNRC president Chang Choong-Sik. North Korea took issue with Chang¡¯s comments in an interview with a monthly magazine in Seoul.

Meanwhile, Park Ki-Ryun, secretary general of the KNRC, sent a telephone message to Choe Song-Chol, a central committee member of the North Korean Red Cross, in the day, informing him that the South has accepted the North's proposal for the restriction of souvenirs and cash gifts.

The KNRC plans to hold a screening committee meeting Nov. 13 to finalize the selection of the 100 family members to visit Pyongyang. The Red Cross also plans to exchange its list with the North Korean side Nov. 18.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com