[Photo] More deaths of elderly divided family members show urgency of regular reunions

The number of South Koreans who have passed away without being able to see their family members in North Korea stands at 70,867 as of 2017, according to the Korean Red Cross. The data says that among the 132,731 South Koreans who have applied for reunions with their family members in North Korea, a mere 2,746, or 2.06 percent, have actually been granted such a privilege. With one out of every five reunion applicants in their 90s, the matter of holding regular reunions for families divided by the Korean War, one of the agreements in the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, is more pressing than ever. (photo pool)