Feb. 12 (Asia Today) -- About 90 North Korean defectors gathered at an association office in eastern Seoul on Thursday to share a Lunar New Year meal, many voicing lingering pain over families left behind in the North.
At the North Korean Refugee Association office in Seoul's Gangdong district, defectors shared traditional North Korean-style holiday dishes including songpyeon rice cakes filled with red bean and soybean paste and rice cake soup with dumplings.
One woman in her 50s said she has not seen her daughter, who remains in China, and fears she would be forcibly repatriated to North Korea if caught attempting to cross the border.
"My daughter is getting married this year. I wish I could see her just once," she said, adding that the holiday season intensifies her longing.
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