Divided North, South Korean families meet: Report

North and South Korean families divided by the Korean War in the 1950s have met in the latest set of reunions, a report says.

On Friday, a group of 82 South Koreans accompanied by 58 family members saw 180 relatives from the North at the coastal resort of Mount Kumgang in North Korea, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

Friday marked day two of the first round of three-day reunions as family members initially met on Thursday.

About 360 other South Koreans are set to meet their relatives in North Korea as the second round of reunions begins on Sunday, the report added.North and South Korea reached the family reunion agreement on February 14 after their first round of talks — the first highest-level in years — ended without any results on February 12.

South Korean officials said little progress had been made during the February 12 session of talks as Pyongyang demanded that Seoul delay a planned joint military drill with the United States until the end of scheduled Korean family reunions.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the agreement as an “important step” which can help Seoul and Pyongyang improve “inter-Korean relations.”

A similar event had been set to take place in September 2013, but North Korea cancelled it at the last minute citing “hostility” from the South.

North Korea has repeatedly warned against Seoul and Washington’s joint military exercise, seeing it as the main setback to the resumption of the reunions.

Millions of Koreans have remained separated since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953.