Reunions of families separated by the Korean War is becoming an increasingly rare prospect as the number of survivors in South Korea fell below 40-thousand amid a continued suspension of the program.

According to the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, the number of deceased members of separated families registered with the government climbed by 231 to 94-thousand-102 as of the end of last month.

The original total of 133-thousand-983 family members who registered as separated fell to fewer than 40-thousand in November to a mere 39-thousand-881, continuing to decline at a rapid pace with over half of the survivors in their 80s and older.

Among those waiting for a chance to see loved ones again, eleven-thousand-82 are over 90 years old and 14-thousand-331 are in their 80s.