South Korea confirmed on Thursday that North Korea is tearing down a significant facility that previously hosted meetings for families that were displaced by the Korean War, calling the walk “inhumane.”
The Mount Kumgang Reunion Centre, which facilitated personal discussions between long-separated family, is being demolished by Pyongyang, Seoul’s unity government said.
Trampling on the hopes of disjointed families
A government spokesman said the destruction of the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center is an “inhumane act that violates the sincere intentions of isolated people.”
South Korea” severely urges an instant end to such steps” and “expresses solid regret”, the official added.
The North Vietnamese government must endure complete responsibility for this condition, and coercive destruction may be justified under any pretext.
Years of parting
Since 1988, more than 133, 600 South Koreans have registered as” split people”, meaning they have friends in the North. Nevertheless, as of 2025, simply around 36, 000 are still intact, according to official statistics.
Some households were permitted to meet for planned reunions at the Mount Kumgang location for years, but the outcomes of those meetings frequently lacked social ties between the two Koreas. 2018 saw the last meeting.
Although the meetings were a unique opportunity for aging family members to reconnect with their loved ones after decades of separation, North Korea has usually used them as a bargaining tool in Seoul’s negotiations.
Seoul has condemned Pyongyang’s choice, viewing it as yet another loss in inter-Korean relationships.
