South Korean families said tearful goodbyes to their relatives in North Korea on Wednesday, August 22, after a three-day reunion in which they saw each other for the first time since being separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

After the emotional few days at the North's tourist resort of Mount Kumgang, South Korean family members were escorted to waiting buses, as their North Korean relatives stood back and waved them off. 

The separated families are victims of a decades-long political gridlock since the war ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. Reunions have been sporadically held since 1985, with this latest batch occurring after the neighbours renewed exchanges this year following a standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

A second round of reunions for other families will begin on Friday, August 24, and run until Sunday, August 26.

(Source: Reuters)