The South Korean Red Cross has launched preparations for the reunions of separated families after the two Koreas settled on a timeline on Tuesday.
 
The organization began setting up a committee that will take charge in selecting the families for the reunions that are slated to take place from October 20 to 26. 
 
The committee, composed of members from within and outside the Korean Red Cross, will devise detailed criteria for selecting families and choose a preliminary batch of 500 applicants through a computer lot-drawing system. 
 
After checking on the health of the candidates and their inclination to attend the reunions, the organization will narrow the number down to 200.
 
In principle, older applicants and those with direct family members in the North will be given priority.
 
The list of 200 will then be exchanged with the North later this month. Once the living status of the families in the South and the North is confirmed, the ultimate list of reunion participants will be finalized in October.
 
The selected families will gather in Sokcho, Gangwon Province on October 19, departing for Mount Geumgang the following day.
 
After marathon negotiations, Red Cross representatives from the two Koreas agreed on Tuesday to reunite 100 families at the North Korean resort in late October.