Gene bank for separated families

SEOUL: The ROK's Red Cross yesterday proposed setting up a gene bank and a video will service for aging citizens who have not seen relatives in the DPRK for more than half a century.

The proposal reflects concerns that thousands more people will die without seeing relatives, after a family reunion service was suspended because of icy cross-border relations.

The ROK's Red Cross said its gene bank project would help family members in the DPRK trace relatives who had died in the ROK, assuming Pyongyang approves the project.