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2mo ago

North Korea Demolishes Family Reunion Center, Deepening Divide with South

The destruction of the Mount Kumgang facility, a symbol of hope for separated families, underscores deteriorating inter-Korean relations.

Image
South Koreans move to their room after a meeting with their North Korean relatives during a separated family reunion meeting at the Mount Kumgang resort on the North's southeastern coast on August 20, 2018.
South Korea and North Koreans participates in a separated family reunion meeting at the Mount Kumgang resort on August 20, 2018 in Mount Kumgang, North Korea.
The reunions were marked by emotional scenes of families tearfully reuniting after decades apart

Overview

  • North Korea has begun demolishing the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center, a venue that hosted reunions for families separated by the Korean War.
  • The South Korean government condemned the demolition as an 'inhumane act' and urged Pyongyang to halt further destruction.
  • The reunions, last held in 2018, provided rare opportunities for divided families to reconnect but were often influenced by political tensions between the Koreas.
  • Relations between North and South Korea are at a historic low, with Kim Jong Un declaring Seoul a 'principal enemy' and renouncing reunification efforts.
  • The demolition marks another step in North Korea's removal of South Korea-built infrastructure at the Diamond Mountain resort, following earlier destruction of other facilities.