Anchor: While most South Koreans meet their families across the country this Chuseok holiday, the annual festive season is again incomplete for tens of thousands of elderly Koreans separated from their loved ones by the Korean War. But there is hope for a small number this holiday. Inter-Korean reunions will be held next week for the first time in three years. Our Kim Bum-soo spoke with two of the 96 South Koreans chosen to reunite with their long-lost siblings. 
 
Report: For 80-year old Mr. Ko Jae-jun, this Chuseok holiday is more special than ever. He is about a week away from being reunited with his sister after being separated 63 years ago. But the joy has been dampened after the recent news he received about his brother in the North.
 
[Soundbite: Ko Jae-jun (80), born in Hwanghae Province, North Korea]
“It feels…thanks to God who gave me health and a long life; I am feeling a great joy now. I just learned that my younger brother died a couple of years ago. So I also feel very lonely. He left a daughter and I will meet her and I will meet my little sister. She is now 71."
 
Ko said he thought the South and the North would be reunited but things did not work out that way. Since October of 1950 when he was separated from his family, he has had one thing in mind – to meet his siblings that were left behind.
 
[Soundbite: Ko Jae-jun (80), born in Hwanghae Province, North Korea]
“When I meet them... I will hug them. My little sister was nine when we were separated. What should I tell her? I want to say, thank you for living…"
 
Eighty-six-year old Mrs. Moon Jeong-ah is excited to be reunited with her younger sisters, who are in their 70s. Mrs. Moon said she doesn’t know how to express her mixed feelings now that her husband passed away in South Korea after applying many times for family reunions in vain.
 
 [Soundbite: Moon Jeong-ah (86), born in South Hamgyeong Province, North Korea]
“Tears are coming out of my eyes. It is an immeasurable feeling. My husband and I got married in the North before coming down to the South. My husband applied for family reunions many times but it never worked. He was always concerned about it and died last year. But do you think I am only saddened about his passing? Frankly, 63 years have now passed and the nature has changed six times…I don’t know. It feels very, very strange. When I meet them I will ask them how did you live? When did my parents die?”
 
She said she is also buying gifts for her siblings in the North.
 
[Soundbite: Moon Jeong-ah (86), born in South Hamgyeong Province, North Korea]
“As a sister, I missed my younger ones. It felt unfortunate as I wanted to share good things and feed them some good food…" "I am going to buy long johns because they say North Korean products are not very good. What else can I do for them?"
 
Mr. Ko and Mrs. Moon are two of the fortunate ones – they will travel to Mount Geumgang in North Korea for reunions that begin next Wednesday. 

Over the years, 129-thousand South Koreans registered with the government to be selected for family reunions. As of last month, 56-thousand on the waiting list had died. Most of the surviving applicants are older than 70 and about half are over 80, dying to see their brothers and sisters.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.