Koreas determined to push for joint railway project

Participants from the two Koreas hold hands together during a groundbreaking ceremony to link roads and railways between the two Koreas at Panmun Station in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong, Wednesday. The inter-Korean project was resumed recently following an exemption of sanctions granted for the project by the United Nations Security Council aiming to boost exchanges between the two Koreas under an inter-Korean agreement. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Actual construction hinges on progress of denuclearization

By Kim Yoo-chul

The two Koreas held a rather symbolic groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday with the aim of early resumption of road and railway links across the heavily fortified border separating the North and South.

A special train carrying a delegation of 100 officials from South Korea including Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, lawmakers and other road and railway officials returned to Seoul Station around 3:10 p.m. after crossing the military demarcation line (MDL).

The two-hour ceremony was held at Panmun Station in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong, where the largest inter-Korean industrial complex, Gaeseong Industrial Complex ― suspended for the time being ― is located.

The symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony came after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) granted a sanctions exemption for the railway and road project, a plus factor to accelerate the "railway diplomacy," being pursued by the two Koreas.

Equipment, materials and transport vehicles were allowed in.

"Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony is meaningful in terms of a fresh impetus to advance inter-Korean ties. Also, the ceremony represents commitment by the two Koreas to actively cooperate to modernize and connect their railways and roads," Seoul's transport ministry said in a statement.

Ahead of the event, rail experts in Seoul went to North Korea for a joint survey of sections of the North's rail network. As most of the North's train tracks were not up to par, with the UNSC applying tough economic sanctions on the North, it's still uncertain whether actual construction will start soon.

"Actual construction will be initiated in accordance with progress in the North's denuclearization and the state of economic sanctions against the North. Much work should be done before starting construction. It's unlikely construction will start in the next few years," Transport Minister Kim told reporters.

The huge difference in railway and road infrastructure between the two Koreas requires the South to pour billions of dollars into projects to modernize such systems in the impoverished state.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un directly mentioned his regime's trains were in an "embarrassing" state during his first meeting with President Moon Jae-in in April this year.

As an apparent message to welcome the ceremony, North Korea sent high-profile officials to the event. Some of the major figures attended at the ceremony were Ri Son-gwon, the chairman of North Korea's state agency in charge of inter-Korean ties, and Vice Railway Minister Kim Yun-hyok.

The railway project is the latest in a series of ambitious moves in accordance with the President's "engagement-centric" policy toward North Korea. Despite slow progress in talks aimed at dismantling the North, President Moon has been pushing forward with plans to improve bilateral relations.

The United States, which was apparently dissatisfied with Moon's push to advance various inter-Korean economic projects, is turning softer ahead of the anticipated second in-person meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. South Korea has officially asked Washington to grant wider sanctions exemptions.

While South Korea wants to expand its inter-Korean projects, political analysts in Seoul said a bumpy road is ahead to make additional inter-Korean projects happen as sanctions will remain in place, preventing most materials and goods from crossing the border.

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