More than 100-thousand people who registered with the government as seeking family members in North Korea have since died, mostly of old age.

The Ministry of Unification said Thursday that as of the end of last year, 100-thousand-148 of the 134-thousand-516 registered separated family members had been confirmed deceased.

Two new applications were filed last month, and 292 deaths were reported, reducing the number of surviving registrants to 34-thousand-368.

An average of 200 separated family members die each month, and new applications from second- and third-generation families remain limited.

The ministry said last year’s exchanges related to separated families, such as reunions, correspondence or confirmation of survival, were limited to a single privately reported case in July.

Government-led reunions and confirmations of survival last took place in August 2018.