A South Korean national abducted by North Korea in 1978 has reunited with his family in South Korea for the first time in nearly 30 years.

At the North Korean resort of Mount Geumgang Wednesday, Kim Young-nam held an emotional reunion with his mother and older sister.

Kim was kidnapped by North Korean agents at age 17 at a beach in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.

He brought his wife and their two children, including daughter Un-kyong, who is believed to be the child of Kim's first wife Megumi Yokota, a Japanese national who was abducted by the North in 1977.

Kim's 78-year-old mother on a wheelchair hugged her son and touched his face with tears flowing from her wrinkled eyes.

A smiling Kim performed a traditional bow to his mother, saying he was happy to meet her again.

His sister cried when meeting her brother, saying he looked the same as he did when he was young.