In 59 years, Family Reunion

(the left, Lee Jung-ho and the right, Lee Kwae-seok)

“Are you Jung-ho?”

“Oh, brother, I really missed you.”

At Chuseok families reunion held on September 26, Lee Jung-ho (76), a South Korean, met his older brother, Lee Kwae-seok (79), taken prisoner in North Korea.

The meeting was the first time after 59 years since Kwae-seok, the eldest son, had missed during Korean War in the 1950s; when he had breakfast with his family and went outside, suddenly he drafted into the army.

Immediately after enlisting, Kwae-seok went home again to tell his family about the news that he had drafted, but that time was last time when he met with his family. After 10 years, in 1960, the family received a letter of announcing his death.

Jung-ho has lived in believing it, but he received a news that his brother has lived in Pyongyang from South Korea government, just three month ago.

Jung-ho believed that if he was soldier, he would more easily find his brother than just a civilian, so he volunteered for the military in 1952, and had served for 12 years until received the news of his death.

Also their mother, died 13 years ago, believed his the eldest son was living somewhere, so she was looking for fortune-tellers across the country to ask her son’s birth and death until she received the news of his death. Jung-ho said, when he remembered of his mother, he felt his heart would break because his mother had died with not known what the eldest son was alive.

Kwae-seok said, “I have never forgotten mother, I met you so happy that cannot shed tears. To tell the truth, I have lived alone without parents, relative and brothers…” He didn’t continue his words. He seemed to recall the past.

Jung-ho asked how he went to North Korea, but he just answered that after discharged from military, he had gone to there, but entered to college, married and has been healthy.

Lee Jung-soo, his fourth younger brother, took part in families reunion with Jung-ho, showed their family trees to Kwae-seok’s daughter and son.

And he asked, hugging his the eldest brother, “When I was 3 years old, you drafted into the army. Do you remember me? I really missed you.”