Dozens of elderly and frail South Koreans gathered excitedly on Sunday on the eve of their first meeting for nearly seven decades with family members in North Korea. The three-day reunion begins on Monday at the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea. Millions of people were swept apart by the 1950-53 Korean War. Because the conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas have remained technically at war. All civilian exchanges - even mundane family news - are banned.

Since 2000 the two nations have held 20 rounds of reunions but time is running out for many ageing family members. More than 130,000 Southerners have signed up for a reunion but most of them have since died. Most of those still waiting are over 80 and the oldest participant this year is 101. This year, 89 elderly South Koreans gathered in Sokcho city on South Korea's northeast coast to spend the night before heading to the heavily-fortified border.