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UN chief welcomes inter-Korean family reunions

Xinhua, October 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday warmly welcomed the holding of family reunions between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), said a statement issued by Ban's spokesman.

"He (Ban) believes humanitarian measures such as the reunions of separated families should be regularised and not subject to political and security considerations," the statement said.

The family reunions will run through to Oct. 26, with 389 elderly South Koreans heading to Mount Kumgang resort in the DPRK on Tuesday to meet DPRK relatives who they have been separated with since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Ban "is encouraged by the positive trends related to inter-Korean relations, particularly the "August Agreement," it said, adding that Ban "hopes that the recent momentum will pave the way for greater inter-Korean dialogue, people-to-people contact, reconciliation and cooperation."

"He further hopes that more dialogue and exchanges will contribute to the promotion of human rights, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," it said.

The Oct. 20-26 reunion of families, separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, was agreed in late August when top-level military advisors to South Korean President Park Geun-hye and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un met to defuse tensions that had pushed the two Koreas to the brink of armed conflict. Enditem