20 Feb 2006, SEOUL--
Saemsori Director Alice Suh and EugeneBell Chairman Dr. Stephen Linton today met with directors of the Ministry of Unification's Separated Family division and received an offer of technical support regarding the South Korean database software used to track missing family members.  Saemsori also received the names of several hundred American citizens who have registered with the South Korean government for North-South family reunions. Of these, over 80 Americans or long-term residents have been included in family reunion meetings at Mt. Keumgang.
 
Saemsori met with  Mr. Seung-hun Jung, director of the Separated Family Division, and Ms. Sung-rim Park, deputy director of the division. The South Korean government has registered approximately 125,000 people for North-South family reunions; approximately 1,000 of these are from overseas, with the majority estimated to be American citizens or residents.

The Ministry of Unification officials expressed the limitations they faced as a government when negotiating family reunion meetings for foreign citizens.

Saemsori also received the names of 27 Korean-Americans who have so far been included in family reunions. They were included in reunions only after being invited by South Korean relatives who had initially been chosen for family reunions. No option currently exists within the US government for Korean-Americans to reunite with their relatives in North Korea.