This concept is suggested to overcome the shortcomings of leaving the home or community where they lived and going to facilities such as nursing homes when faced with long-term care. This has become the common way for many families.
The writer whose mother has died but before her death, the situation in the family required that she go to a nursing home. The mother did not want it and was heart-rending for the son. He also thought that focusing only on these facilities might become like the modern version of Goryeojang. (In ancient Korea the taking of an old person out to the mountains to die)
Hearing of AIP, he thought of the separated families. In general, separated families can be divided into those who broke up after liberation, those who broke up after the Korean War, and those who broke up for other reasons.
Where is the 'home or community for these elderly separated families? Of course, there is a saying, 'hometown is the place you love', but for many of these elders, they can't for a moment forget the land where they were born reappearing even in their dreams. As the Ministry of Unification continues to show interest in the 'Hometown Photo Exhibition of Dispersed Families', which is currently being held at the Unification Observatory to comfort separated families and displaced people. He thinks the answer might be 'hometown'.
In the recent political season, each party is electing a presidential candidate, and various pledges for unification, diplomacy and security are presented. He hopes that some of the candidates' promises will be the AIPs of separated families. He wonders what it would be like to reunite on the same day near Gaeseong, close to the metropolitan area, let the separated families visit hometowns, exchange pictures of their hometowns, create a burial place in their hometown for the deceased, and create a joint memorial between the two Koreas in the DMZ.
Of course, this will require a response from the North. On the other hand, there seems to be an objection to whether forcing a connection with your hometown even though the place where one is currently living fits the concept of AIP. However, because the current separation of separated families is not 'voluntary but forced', it does not seem appropriate to judge from our own point of view.
To this end, the continuing efforts and great determination of the leaders of the South and the North are required. He is concerned that North and South Korea may be perceived by the international community as a pathetic nation that cannot solve the problem of separated families. Living in old age with dignity is a human rights issue that applies to all.
