Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
KORAIL to host heads of global railway operators April 8-12
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korea Railroad Corp. logo / Korea Times file
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) will host the 34th meeting of the Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) General Directors from April 8 to 12 at Lotte Hotel Seoul, the state-run railway operator said Monday.
Established in 1956, the OSJD is an international organization built around 29 member countries in the European and Asian region, including Poland, Russia, China, Vietnam and the two Koreas.
The combined length of OSJD members' railways surpasses 280,000 kilometers and more than 2 million freight trains transport goods on those tracks.
The organization makes decisions upon and establishes international transport standards with regard to the passengers and freight transportation of international railways such as the Trans-Siberian Railroad and Trans-China Railway.
Under the slogan “Toward the Future of Peace and Prosperity,” the OSJD's leaders will share 2018's accomplishments and discuss way to improve use and operation of railways in Eurasia and seek cooperation opportunities to invest in infrastructure and connecting railroads.
A poster image of the 34th conference of General Directors of OSJD Railways / Courtesy of KORAIL
The conference is expected to attract about 300 international delegates from 27 OSJD member states, including Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, as well as railroad experts, civil engineers and corporate leaders.
After joining the organization as an affiliated enterprise in 2014, KORAIL has made several attempts to join the OSJD as a full membership country.
However, the state rail company failed to win unanimous approval from existing members between 2015 and 2017 due to North Korea's opposition.
North Korea opposed Seoul's joining, but finally approved in 2018 following the thawing inter-Korean relations.
Now South Korea is eligible for the benefits drawn from a set of railway agreements signed under the OSJD, such as the Agreement on International Goods Transport by Rail (SMGS) and the Agreement on International Passenger Traffic by Rail (SMPS).
“It's our first time hosting such a large-scale international conference after joining the OSJD as a full membership country. We are fully committed to ensuring its successful hosting,” said Chung In-soo, acting president and CEO of KORAIL. “Through this opportunity, we'd like to prove South Korea's advanced railway technology and its great potential.”