North and South Korea reach deal to reunite families

By the CNN Wire Staff

Elderly South Koreans, who were separated from their families during the 1950-53 Korean War, hold a traditional ritual for their deceased relatives at Imjingak peace park in Paju in North Korea, near the inter-Korea border, on September 14.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: The families will reunite at the two countries' joint mountain resort in the North
NEW: The meetings will be held from October 30 to November 5
Families have been divided for nearly 60 years
Fewer than 200 families were allowed to reunite at the last event

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(CNN) -- North and South Korea reached agreement Friday on where to temporarily reunite families separated by the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, the Yonhap news agency said.

Earlier talks had bogged down over where to hold the reunions.

They will be held from October 30 to November 5 at the two countries' joint mountain resort in the North, Mount Kumgang.

Negotiators met Friday in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. No further details were immediately available about the reunions or the talks.

Millions of families were separated by the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with a cease-fire, but without a formal peace treaty.

About 10,000 people applied to take part in a similar reunion last year, but fewer than 200 families were allowed to participate.

Family members wept as they saw one another for the first time in decades. No mail, telephone or e-mail exchanges exist between ordinary citizens across the Korean border.

The families were allowed to spend a few days together before the South Koreans had to return home.

Fewer than 21,000 family members have reunited since 2000, when North and South held their first summit, Yonhap said. About one-fifth of them have reunited via video.