Ministry to Launch 2021 Survey of
Separated Families
April 6, 2021
The Ministry of Unification and the Korean Red Cross plan to conduct
the 2020 survey of families separated during the Korean War from early
April to late October. The survey will be carried out on 48,000 people
who are still alive among those who have requested reunions with their
relatives in the North.
The survey is conducted every five years in accordance with the Act
on Inter-Korean Confirmation of the Life or Death of Separated
Families and Promotion of Exchange, and this is the third of its kind
following those conducted in 2011 and 2016.
* The survey is organized by the Ministry of Unification and the
Korean Red Cross, while executed by Hankook Research
The
survey aims to update the application information and to identify the
overall state of and demand for exchange among members of separated
families in preparation for confirmation of life or death of separated
family members and reunions in the future.
First, it will
check the information of all applicants and update their personal
information (addresses, contact numbers, details of how they were
separated, and family members) as necessary.
Then, by
sampling 5,000 people, it will conduct an in-depth survey on the
state, awareness, and policy direction of exchange among separated
families.
Considering the aging of senior separated family
members and the Covid-19 situation, the government will focus on
exploring and identifying more effective ways of exchange by grasping
the diverse demands of separated families.
The survey will
be conducted by various means including mail, phone, and visits.
Separated family members can also participate in the survey online or
by phone.
When making personal visits, the government
will ensure safety by duly complying with the Covid-19 prevention
guidelines and taking into consideration the advanced ages of the
senior separated family members.
* Precautionary
measures will include checking the physical condition of surveyors
twice a day for two weeks before making personal visits; complying
with the Covid-19 prevention guidelines including those on use of hand
sanitizers and wearing of masks; and keeping a record of daily
prevention management for all visiting
surveyors.
Questionnaires will be designed, and separated
families will be informed of the survey in advance in April. Then, the
survey will be conducted from May through July.
As soon as
the survey is finished, the findings will be tabulated and analyzed,
and the major findings will be made public by late October.
The government will strive to devise effective and
efficient policy on the separated families issue by accurately
grasping the demand of separated families through this survey.
