Korean-Americans left out of family reunions

There are an estimated 100-thousand Korean-American families in the U.S. with ties to North Korea,... and with the current round of reunions, many have been left wondering if they will ever get the chance to reunite.
Arirang's Hwang Ji-hye sat down with some of the separated families outside the divided nation. There was a ray of hope for 88-year old Kim Bong-keon, when the two Koreas agreed to proceed with reunions for families separated since the Korean War earlier this month.
More than 60 years have passed since Kim last saw his sister, brother-in-law and cousin, who was in kindergarten when he fled North Korea.


"I miss them so much. I can still clearly remember my cousin's face. She used to follow me and hold my hand when I walked her to kindergarten."


His faint hope, however, quickly flickered out.
Including Kim, an estimated 100-thousand Korean-American families have ties to North Korea, but this time... only 170 families from the two Koreas were allowed to meet their long-lost relatives.
Many of the separated Korean-American families live in southern California, which has the largest population of Koreans outside of the divided peninsula.
For them, Choi Chang-chun, a member of the National Unification Advisory Council of Los Angeles, says there's not much hope for a reunion any time soon.


"There are hundreds of thousands of separated families in South Korea, and just for them to take a trip to the North to meet their families will take decades. I don't think people like me in the United States will have a chance."


Although Korean-Americans are able to take a private trip to the North to meet their families using their U.S. citizenship, not many consider it a feasible option.


"There are organizations that help Korean-Americans visit North Korea to meet their families, but it costs a lot of money."



"People in the Korean-American community that have families in the North are hoping the reunions led by the two Koreas take place on a regular basis, and on a larger scale.
Pyongyang, however, has a record of unilaterally calling off scheduled family reunions, whenever it has a bone to pick with South Korea and the U.S."


"I am now almost 90 years old. I don't have many days left. I really hope to see my family before I die."

Hwang Ji-hye, Arirang News, Los Angeles.