DPRK to delay family reunions with S. Korea

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Saturday that it will delay the reunion of families separated by the Korean War (1950-53) until atmosphere is ripe for dialogue with South Korea, according to news reaching here.

The DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency that it will postpone the scheduled reunion of separated families "until normal atmosphere is created" for Seoul and Pyongyang to be able to hold dialogue and negotiations.

The two Koreas originally agreed to hold the family reunion event for six days from September 25 in DPRK's scenic resort Mount Kumgang. The two sides exchanged their final lists of people who will participate in the event on Monday.

The highly symbolic event would have been the first reunions in three years for families separated for decades by the Korean War.

The reunion program had been suspended after the DPRK's shelling of a South Korean border island in November 2010.

The committee also said that the DPRK will put off the working- level dialogue with South Korea, slated for October 2, to resume the tour to Mount Kumgang.