Koreas to hold family reunions in October

North and South Korea agreed on Tuesday to hold a further round of reunions of family members separated during the 1950-53 Korean-War, the South said.

Seoul officials said that 100 mostly elderly family members from each country will meet at North Korea's  Diamond Mountain resort from Oct. 20-26.

The decision came after talks among the rivals' Red Cross officials at the border village of Panmunjom. The Koreas agreed to push for the reunions after striking a deal last month that eased animosity that saw them threatening war. The standoff flared after a mine explosion blamed on Pyongyang maimed two South Korean soldiers.

The highly emotional reunions have not happened since early last year. Most applicants are in their 70s or older and desperate to see their loved ones before they die.

Some foreign analysts remain skeptical about inter-Korean meeting because of speculation that North Korea will fire what it calls a satellite to celebrate the 70th birthday on Oct. 10 of its ruling party. Similar past launches triggered an international standoff as South Korea and other neighboring countries called them disguised tests for long-range missiles. Such a launch would endanger the reunions.

Both governments ban their citizens from visiting each other or even exchanging letters, phone calls and emails.

The last family reunion, which included about 80 South Koreans and 180 North Koreans, was held at the Diamond Mountain Resort in February 2014. It was the first such event in three years and had been postponed in September 2013, with Pyongyang citing Seoul’s “hostile intent” toward the North, following a joint military drill held by the South with the United States.

Hwang Deok-yong, 84, a South Korean national with relatives in the North, expressed frustrations with both governments at the time.

"Each side thinks it's right, and they play games," Hwang told Al Jazeera.

Before the last meeting in February, there were about 72,000 South Koreans who are on the waiting list to meet family members in the North.

Al Jazeera and wire services