이산가족 사흘 만에 끝나...만나자마자 또 이별

Once again our starting point is the inter-Korean family reunions.
Separated by the war and unable to see each other, much less learn if they're still alive.... they finally got to meet.
The first of a 2 part event wraps up today.
We go straight to our Park Hee-jun, who has been following the story for us.
Hee-jun it went on for 3 days, BUT not nearly enough with hours feeling like seconds for the participants.

Daniel. The reunion was a dream come true,... but like you said, it was too tragically short to make up for the lost time of nearly 7 decades.
It ended before the families could even truly savor the feeling of being back together.

On the last day of this long awaited reunion, separated families had merely three hours to say their last goodbyes before having to part once more.
During the last reunion at the resort on Mount Kumgang,... some tried to contain their emotions and put on a smile,... so that the face their relatives remember isn't covered in tears.
But it was to no avail.
Even as the buses carrying the South Korean participants took off,... their North Korean families chased after them,... until they were stopped by officials.

We can only imagine how these families feel now, being reunited after decades of waiting, and then, separated once again, holding only to the promise of meeting again, somehow and somewhere, be it the southern or the northern side of the border.
The South Korean participants returned to the Hanwha Resort in Sokcho, in Gangwon-do Province a few hours ago.
I was able to meet them when they arrived,... and they actually looked pretty cheerful and happy.
They told reporters that they had a good time in North Korea.
Take a listen.

"I'm very satisfied with the reunion. Everything was organized very nicely."

"I enjoyed having some private time with my family very much."

Although the time spent with they families was indeed too short, they generally appeared to appreciate the fact that they were able to see their loved ones one last time, and that they were able to see with their own eyes that they were alive and well, all this time.

We need to remember that these are senior citizens mostly aged over 80.
This will most likely be there last face-to-face in their lifetime.

Now, we still have the second session of the 21st inter-Korean family reunion coming up on Friday, which will bring together a second bacth of separated families.
This time, 83 North Koreans will meet their relatives living South of the border.
On Friday,...families living in South Korea will gather at this resort before they head North.
And it will surely be another emotional event, too short in duration, but hopefully, not too late.
I’ll be keeping you with the latest.
That's all I have for now. Daniel.