South Korea's Ministry of Unification reports that 101,148 of the 134,516 people registered as family members separated by the 1950–53 Korean War have died, leaving 34,368 survivors. More than 65% of living registrants are aged 80 or older, and 10,885 are 90-plus, highlighting the shrinking window for reunions. Seoul has proposed expanded humanitarian measures — including DNA testing and video messages — but Pyongyang has not responded and has dismantled a Mount Kumgang reunion facility.
Three-Quarters Of South Koreans Registered As War-Separated Have Died, Seoul Warns Of Shrinking Window For Reunions
Some 75% of South Koreans registered as separated from family in the North have died of old age, government data showed Thursday. In this 2018 file photo, North Korean women react after seeing off a family member during a reunion at the Mount Kumgang resort, North Korea. Pool File Photo by O Jongchan/EPA-EFE
South Korea's government statistics reveal that more than three-quarters of people who registered as members of families split by the 1950–53 Korean War have died without being reunited with relatives in the North, underscoring the urgency of renewed humanitarian efforts.
Key Figures
As of Dec. 31, 2025, the Ministry of Unification reported that 134,516 people had registered with Seoul as separated family members. Of those, 101,148 — roughly 75% — have been confirmed deceased, leaving just 34,368 survivors.
The remaining registrants are rapidly aging: more than 65% are 80 or older, and 10,885 are 90 or above. Those demographics highlight the narrowing timeframe to confirm the fate of relatives and facilitate reunions.
Diplomatic Context And Government Response
North and South Korea have organized 21 inter-Korean family reunion events since 2000, with the last taking place in August 2018 during a period of detente. Relations have cooled since then, and inter-Korean communication channels remain largely dormant amid tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June, has called for the restoration of humanitarian cooperation with Pyongyang and listed separated-family reunions as a priority for stabilizing ties. In October he said, "I believe that it is the responsibility of all political leaders in both the South and the North to ensure that these tragically separated families can confirm the fate of their relatives and, at the very least, exchange letters."
In December, the Ministry of Unification published a 2026 policy plan promoting "peaceful coexistence" with the North and pledged to expand humanitarian programs for separated families, including DNA testing, video messages and intensified efforts to verify the status of missing relatives.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young emphasized the urgency during a recent visit with elderly separated family members — including a 105-year-old man in Seoul — saying, "Separated families represent the greatest sorrow born of national division," and warning that "time is running out."
Obstacles And Pyongyang's Response
Despite Seoul's proposals, North Korea has not responded to recent offers for humanitarian exchanges. In February, Pyongyang began dismantling the reunion facility at its Mount Kumgang tourist zone, a symbolic and practical setback for future family meetings. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Seoul's overtures as an "illusion," saying that Seoul's hopes for repairing relations "can never come true," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Why It Matters
The combination of a rapidly aging cohort of separated family registrants and stalled inter-Korean relations means opportunities to confirm loved ones' fates and arrange reunions are diminishing — making humanitarian channels and practical verification measures more urgent than ever.
Help us improve.
