South Korean officials head to DPRK to prepare family reunion

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The Korean War during in the 1950s separated millions of families. South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea agreed last month to hold a reunion starting on September 26th.

The upcoming family reunion is the first in nearly two years. A ten-member South Korean team will work with their DPRK counterparts checking the hotel, communication lines and other formalities for the six-day reunion.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-Sung said, "As you well know, the inter-Korea family reunion starts from this Saturday. The South Korean advance team for family reunions departed this morning."

This year's family reunion will be held at the DPRK's Diamond Mountain resort. Head of South Korea's advance team, Koo Byoung-sam, is confident the event will be a success.

Koo Byoung-Sam, head of Advanced Team, South Korea, said, "After a long interval, a family reunion is being held. We will fully prepare in order to ensure a favorable result."

The first family reunion was held nine years ago, when 200 people from the two countries met their long-lost family members.

But relations between the two sides have soured since South Korean President Lee-Myung-bak assumed office in 2007 resulting in the DPRK suspending family reunions.

More than 16,000 Koreans have been united during 16 family reunions helping heal old wounds from the past.