Press Release (September 24, 2010)
The outcome of the 2nd inter-Korean Red Cross working-level meeting on September 24
Another round of inter-Korean Red Cross working-level meeting to discuss the location of the next family reunion will be held on October 1
l Representatives from the North and the South held a Red Cross working-level talks today at the Janamsan Hotel in Kaesong to discuss a family reunion. The meeting included 4 general sessions and 4 separate sessions to decide the location.
l The two sides reached a consensus to have a family reunion on the occasion of a Chuseok holiday, but had a difference on the location.
- To discuss this matter, they agreed to hold another round of inter-Korean Red Cross talks at the Janamsan Hotel on October 1.
l At today s separate sessions to discuss the location of the reunion,
- North Korean representatives insisted that the issue of frozen and confiscated facilities in the tourism district should be addressed first in order to use the reunion center near Mt. Geumgang.
l In response, South Korean representatives emphasized that the reunion center is not directly related to tourism to the mountain and the next family reunion should be hosted at the center.
- They asked their North Korean counterpart to propose specific places for family reunions if the center can not be allowed to be used.
l Without proposing any specific location, representatives from the North reiterated that all facilities in the district were confiscated and frozen
- and insisted that another round of inter-Korean Red Cross meeting should be held to address the issue of the reunion center.
l Therefore, the two parties agreed to have an additional working-level meeting to discuss the location of the reunion in Kaesong on October 1.
l When South Korean representatives asked for holding family reunions on a regular basis, North Korean representatives proposed to have a Red Cross high-level meeting in mid-October to discuss ways to promote humanitarian projects including normalizing inter-Korean family reunions.
- This matter, however, was not discussed in details as the decision on the location of the next reunion was delayed.
l We will continue to talk with North Korea at the October 1st meeting about where the next family reunion should be held and whether a Red Cross high-level meeting in mid-October would be held.
The Republic of Korea National Red Cross
