ROK parliament passes resolution urging reunion of separated families in DPRK

SEOUL - The parliament of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Thursday passed a resolution urging the reunion of families separated across the border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The resolution was passed during the National Assembly's plenary session, saying the reunion of separated families would become a significant opportunity to build a peace regime and ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Most of the separated families have been banned from meeting their families on the other side of the inter-Korean border and exchanging letters since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in armistice, not in peace treaty.

The latest reunion was held in October 2015. Since then, no such event has been held as the DPRK conducted two nuclear tests last year and test-fired ballistic missiles, escalating tensions on the peninsula.

The parliamentary resolution called for the government to push the reunion event on the Aug 15 Liberation Day.

The Korean Peninsula was liberated from the 36-year Japanese colonial rule on Aug 15 in 1945.

The resolution also demanded the regular reunion event of the divided families and the exchange of letters, while calling for a fundamental solution for the separated families.