Son Kidnapped to NK Reunited with His Mother from SK in 36 Years

A group of 100 elderly South Koreans arrived at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea yesterday for three days of reunions with their estranged relatives in the North.

Among them, Yoon Young-gu (55) who was kidnapped to the North was reunited with his mother Lee Kang-sam (76) from the South at “Kim Jung-sook Resort” in Mt. Geumgang during the 7th round of reunions of separated family members of the two Koreas. It was the fifth of its kinds that children in the North were reunited with their parents in the South.

Mr. Yoon was kidnapped in May of 1967, when he and other 7-crew members went to sea in a fishing vessel. Among the members, four safely returned to South Korea after 4 months.

Mr. Yoon`s mother from South Korea met Hong Jung-sook (53), her daughter-in-law in the North and three grandchildren for the first time. Lee Kang-sam, the mother from the South, had fled to South Korea during the Korean War after her husband, who was on the run to avoid being recruited as a North Korean army, died.

The group of 100 family members and 10 accompanying family members from the South met their lost-kin in the North in four months since the last family reunion held in February.

The 100 South Korean visitors include 102-year-old Eo Seon-deok who was reunited with her 56-year-old daughter Jeong Wan-ok. In addition, Jang Soo-kun (90) and Hong Kye-sun(84) met their son Jang Chung-hee (60), daughter-in-law and their daughter Jang Hee-suk(63) in the North.

During the South Korean delegation’s stay in the North until June 29, separated family members from both sides will sit face-to-face for a total of six times spanning 11 hours to share 50-years of isolated memories.