The government is seeking to open a discussion on expanding reunions of separated families during the upcoming inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

A government official said that Seoul will raise the separated family issue at the summit, seeking to expand the reunions in size and number, calling the reunions an important humanitarian concern for the two Koreas.

The South Korean government believes it will not be difficult to increase reunion opportunities for more families separated by the 1950 to 1953 Korean War because a reunion center at the North's Mount Geumgang resort will be completed in the first half of next year.

However, separated family organizations argue that priority should be placed on knowing whether their families are still alive and being able to correspond between the two Koreas.