North Korea has demolished a venue in the Mount Kumgang resort that served as a site for emotional reunions of families separated by the Korean War. Seoul condemned the move as 'inhumane' and called for accountability from Pyongyang. The demolition highlights the strained relations between the two Koreas and the uncertain future of family reunions.
North Korea has demolished a venue that for decades hosted emotional reunions of families separated by the Korean War and the division of the country, Seoul announced on Thursday. The demolition of the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center, a symbol of the longing and hopes of separated families, was condemned by South Korea as an 'inhumane act'. The venue, located at North Korea 's Mount Kumgang resort, had served as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the Korean peninsula's division.
\Though hostilities ceased with an armistice in 1953, the two Koreas remain technically at war, with all direct civilian exchanges prohibited. These reunions, often held at the request of families separated by the division, were frequently subject to the vagaries of inter-Korean politics and used as a negotiating tool by Pyongyang. The last reunion event took place in 2018. \A spokesperson for Seoul's unification ministry stated, 'The demolition of the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center is an inhumane act that tramples on the earnest wishes of separated families.' The spokesperson added, 'North Korea's unilateral demolition cannot be justified under any pretext, and the North Korean authorities must bear full responsibility for this situation.' As of 2025, an estimated 36,000 separated Korean families are still alive, with 75% unsure of the fate of their relatives. An official at the Inter Korean Separated Families Association blamed the deterioration of inter-Korean relations under the previous administration for the reunion center's demolition, stating, 'Ever since the administration took office, everything has been cut off.' \The Mount Kumgang resort reunions offered a rare opportunity for families separated by the Korean War to briefly reconnect. However, the halting of the program leaves most separated families with little hope of ever seeing each other again. The first reunion event took place in 1985, but it wasn't until 2000, following the first inter-Korean summit, that reunions became a recurring event. These reunions were often marked by heart-wrenching scenes of families tearfully reuniting and parting after brief days of meeting. \Relations between the two Koreas are currently at a low point, with North Korea launching numerous ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions. Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, declared Seoul his 'principal enemy' last year and renounced the government's long-held goal of reunification. Professor Lim Eul-chul from Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies stated, 'Kim Jong Un declared his intention to sever all inter-Korean ties.' However, Lim added that the restoration of the reunion center is likely to follow once a new administration takes over. Pyongyang has also responded to perceived anti-North Korean propaganda by sending trash-carrying balloons south.
NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA FAMILY REUNIONS KOREAN WAR MOUNT KUMGANG INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS
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