At the ninth inter-Korean Red Cross talks, the two Koreas have agreed to expand reunions of separated families.

They will increase the number of participants to 400 from each side, which fell short of the South’s expectation since it proposed having regular reunions all year round.

Currently, about 200 to 300 people are able to reunite yearly with their separated family members in North Korea on national holidays such as Korean Independence Day and Chuseok.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang turned down Seoul’s proposal to arrange separate reunions between South Korean abductees and prisoners of war held in the North and their relatives in the South.

To celebrate the 8th anniversary of the historic inter-Korean joint declaration on June 15th, 2000, the South and North agreed to hold a special face-to-face reunion at the North’s Mount Geumgang resort next year. They also agreed on having quarterly video reunions for 160 families every year.

In addition, the two sides will have a trial video message exchange for 20 families. If it goes well, every quarter 30 families selected from among those who already took part in the previous reunions will be able to get in touch with their kin in the North again through video.

At the completion ceremony of the permanent reunion center at Mount Geumgang next week, Seoul and Pyongyang will send their delegations. They also agreed to hold the next round of Red Cross Talks at the mountain resort.