Separated families from North and South Korea wept and embraced on Monday as the two countries held their first reunion in three years for relatives wrenched apart for decades by the Korean War.

About 330 South Koreans embraced 185 relatives from the North with tears of joy and disbelief. Some struggled to recognize family, having not seen them in more than 60 years.

The brief reunions are set to total around 11 hours over the next three days in the North's tourist resort of Mount Kumgang.

The separated families are victims of a decades-long political gridlock since the 1950-53 war ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty, with ties increasingly strained as Pyongyang rapidly stepped up its weapons programme.

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