A North Korean seeking information about an uncle in the South reached out to ROK authorities through a defector earlier this year, leading to a rare reunion between separated family members.

The case comes as new data shows that over three-quarters of South Koreans separated from family in the North have already died, highlighting the urgency of arranging reunions or other contact as the family members age.

In April, Seoul’s Unification Ministry received a request through a North Korean defector from an individual in the DPRK seeking to locate an uncle living in the South, an official from the ministry’s