President Lee urges swift action to reunite Korean War separated families

President Lee Jae Myung, while attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, declared the plight of families divided by the 1950-1953 Korean War the most urgent issue facing the peninsula. Marking the fourth Separated Families Day, he warned that eight years have elapsed since the previous reunion and that further postponement is unacceptable. Lee urged both North and South Korea to move beyond confrontation toward respectful dialogue, assuring that his administration will keep pursuing reunions despite a current stalemate in relations.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivered Lee's remarks and added his personal view that the armistice must eventually give way to lasting peace. Representatives of separated families, including a senior professor and the committee head, called for a memorial to preserve their stories for future generations.