A divided family can be a close family unit or members of the wider family who are separated from each other by borders of one or more countries and are therefore temporarily or permanently not able to live together. Main reason for the separation is political conflict. It is even possible that family members are given citizenships of different countries. Examples where families were divided through political conflicts are the division of the Korean peninsula and the division of Germany through the inner German border. Both cases were caused by a rearrangement of national boundaries. However, families can also be divided if national boundaries remain unchanged, but instead groups of people or invidviduals are moved, forced to leave or flee. Forced displacement such as flight from persecution, violence or a severe lack of public order can be causes of divided families. For example, over 100,000 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in other countries in 2015. Other examples are population transfer, third country resettlement and deportation. Many countries offer programmes for family reunification that allows divided families to live together again. Division of the Korean peninsula The division of the Korean peninsula is one of the last remaining relics of the Cold War. Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, there has been virtually no contact between the citizens of the two countries, including the many families who were divided during the turmoil that engulfed Korea after liberation from Japanese rule and during the three-year Korean War. Many people in both North Korea and South Korea have lost contact with the rest of their family, and are unable to communicate with them due to strict regulations across borders. In the 1980s, South Korea held special programs to reunite divided families. Between 1910 and 1945 Korea lost sovereignty and was colonized by Japan, which caused millions of Koreans to disperse. Between 25% and 35% were separated after the liberation right before the Korean War. The vast majority of the divided families (i.e. between 65% and 75%) were separated by the start of the Korean War on and around June 25, 1950. Seoul, the capital, was taken in 3 days. The largest seaborne evacuation from the North was from Hungnam between 15 and 24 December 1950, when 86,000 refugees along with UN Forces escaped from North Korean and Chinese forces. Millions more fled their homes to flee south. All communication with