After a 20-month hiatus, inter-Korean family reunions will be held Tuesday afternoon at the North's Mount Geumgang resort.
 
Buses carrying 389 South Koreans from separated families departed for the North at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday from a resort in Sokcho, Gangwon Province where the families spent the night following an informational orientation session.
 
They will arrive at Mount Geumgang at around 12:30 p.m. after passing through the east coast Inter-Korean Transit Office.
 
The families will meet with their northern brethren six times for a total of 12 hours, beginning with the first group meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. They will return to Sokcho Thursday morning.
 
The total South Korean group consists of 536 people, including separated family members, medical workers, volunteers and reporters.
 
Twenty medical staff and five ambulances have accompanied the South Korean group as more than half of the South Korean family members are over 70. 
 
Four people were unable to attend the reunions due to poor health. Two participants, 83-year-old Yeom Jin-rye and 77-year-old Kim Soon-tak, are being transferred to the North via ambulance. 
 
On Monday, 141 North Korean family members arrived at Mount Geumgang to participate in the reunions.