North and South Korean war-separated families to unite

North and South Korea reached agreement Friday on restarting reunions for families separated by war 60 years ago, a move which could ease tensions sparked by the sinking of one of Seoul's warships.

The two sides will arrange reunions for 200 families from October 30 to November 5 at the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea, unification ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo said, AFP informs.

The issue is a sensitive and emotional one in South Korea, where many people feel a strong kinship to North Koreans, despite the countries' often bellicose antagonisms. Many Korean families found themselves divided at the close of the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with a truce rather than a formal treaty.

The South Korean Red Cross has said about 80,000 South Koreans have yet to be reunited with their relatives in the North, New York Times reports.