South Korea began to supply large-scale of electricity to the joint inter-Korean industrial complex in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday, which is the first time for the two sides to conduct power transmission via high-voltage cables in 60 years.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the Pyeonghwa, which means peace, substation in the complex can receive 100,000 kilowatts of electricity, enough to serve up to 30,000 households, from the South via 154-kilovolt power cables that cross the Demilitarized Zone.

The move came with the dedication of a substation in the Kaesong industrial complex which can receive far more electricity from the South than before, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said.

In December 2004, South Korea and DPRK agreed on the power supply to the industrial complex. South Korea started to provide electricity via low-voltage cables in March 2005 .South Korea's state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. started to provide 15,000 kilowatts of electricity through 22.9-kilovolt power lines to the complex in March 2005.

The power transmission between the two sides was cut off in May 1948.

Currently, 23 South Korean companies operate in the complex, which is located at about 60 km northwest of Seoul.

Source: Xinhua