Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has pledged his best efforts to reopen dialogue with North Korea and make progress on the abductee and prisoner of war issues after the wife of an abductee pleaded tearfully on her knees for help on Friday.

During a meeting with a civic group representing abductees’ families, Kim Tae-joo, the wife of fishing boat captain Choi Jong-seok, who was abducted by North Korea in 1987, knelt before the minister and begged for confirmation of her husband’s fate, saying she can no longer bear living without knowing whether he is alive.

Chung comforted Kim, calling the decadeslong separation a “tragic situation” and stressing that easing the suffering of abductees’ families requires keeping dialogue with the North alive and open.

Choi Seong-ryong, head of the civic group, pledged to refrain from provocative actions such as launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets and urged the minister to arrange a meeting with abductees “even in secret.”

Chung thanked Choi for cooperating with the new government’s approach, saying it greatly aids efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.