Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 02, 2003
S.Korea, DPRK to Hold Talks on Reconnection of Inter-Korean Transportation Corridors
South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Monday to hold working-level talks on the reconnection of inter-Korean railways and their adjacent roads, the South Korean Ministry of Unification said.
South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Monday to hold working-level talks on the reconnection of inter-Korean railways and their adjacent roads, the South Korean Ministry of Unification said.
The two sides made the agreement through telephone messages earlier Monday. The three-day talks beginning this Saturday will be held in the DPRK city of Kaesong. The talks will focus on the delayed reconnection of the two cross-border railways and their adjacent roads.
As a major part of efforts to boost inter-Korean reconciliation,the two countries last year agreed to complete the reconnection ofthe Gyeongui railway and its adjacent roads located in the westernpart of the peninsula by the end of 2002 and the spring of 2003 respectively. But the construction work was delayed due to variousreasons.
They also agreed to reconnect the initial 27 km line of the Donghae railway linking eastern coastal cities across the border, and its 14.2 km adjacent road within a one-year time span from last September.
Work to clear land mines in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), located between the two countries, was completed in December last year as a preparatory step to reconnecting the railways.
The South Korean delegation to the talks will enter the DPRK via an overland route through the western side of the DMZ.