What did South Korea's unification ministry say about the Gyeongwon railway and inter-Korean rail ties next year?

The ministry said it will restart construction on the South Korean section of the Gyeongwon railway line next year and aims to complete it by 2029. The line was first built in 2015 but has been suspended since 2016.

How does the ministry expect North Korea to approach future talks with Seoul and Washington?

It expects North Korea to deepen strategic ties with China and Russia to strengthen its bargaining power in any negotiations with Washington. The ministry also said Pyongyang is likely to favor arms reduction over denuclearization and remain cautious and indifferent toward Seoul.

Seoul to push for resumption of inter-Korean rail project next year: unification ministry

Q: What are the four peaceful exchange projects Seoul wants to prepare with North Korea?

The ministry said the projects are health cooperation, the Wonsan-Kalma peace tourism project, a Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway and the Greater Tumen Initiative. It said the work is meant to encourage cross-border exchange and peaceful coexistence.

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Summary

The unification ministry said on Wednesday it will push to resume the cross-border rail project with North Korea next year and begin preparatory work on four peaceful exchange projects. The plans were reported in a briefing to the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification. The ministry also said it will restart construction on the South Korean section of the Gyeongwon railway line next year, aiming to finish by 2029. It expects North Korea to deepen ties with China and Russia and keep a cautious stance toward Seoul.

Key Facts

The ministry described four proposed peaceful exchange projects as health cooperation, the Wonsan-Kalma peace tourism project, a Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway and the Greater Tumen Initiative.
It said it wants to revitalize the Greater Tumen Initiative, a regional economic cooperation framework involving South Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia.
Construction on the South Korean section of the Gyeongwon railway line began in 2015 and has been suspended since 2016 amid worsening inter-Korean ties.
When completed, the railway will connect Seoul and Wonsan in North Korea.
The ministry said Pyongyang is likely to seek future nuclear dialogue focused on arms reduction rather than denuclearization.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 19, 2026 1:00 pm KST

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young / Yonhap

The unification ministry on Wednesday said it plans to push for the resumption of a cross-border rail project with North Korea next year while mapping out long-term multinational projects it has proposed as part of efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang.

The announcement was made during a briefing to the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification.

The ministry said it would begin preparatory work on what it called the "four peaceful exchange projects," aimed at encouraging cross-border exchange. The four proposed projects are a health cooperation project, the Wonsan-Kalma peace tourism project, a Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway and the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI).

Among them, the ministry plans to revitalize the GTI, which is a regional economic cooperation framework involving South Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia with a focus on transport, energy and tourism. It also plans to encourage Pyongyang to join the initiative.

As part of efforts to lay the groundwork for inter-Korean exchange, the ministry said it will restart construction on the South Korean section of the Gyeongwon railway line next year, with a goal to complete by 2029.

Construction began in 2015 but has been suspended since 2016 amid worsening inter-Korean ties. When completed, the railway will connect Seoul and Wonsan in the North.

At the briefing, the ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang, but said it would carry out its planned projects in a "more defined and careful" manner, an approach that appears to reflect President Lee Jae Myung's order that the ministry proceed with caution.

It also forecast North Korea will continue to deepen strategic relations with China and Russia to strengthen its bargaining power for any potential negotiations with Washington.

The ministry expected Pyongyang to seek a shift in any future nuclear dialogue, focusing on arms reduction rather than denuclearization.

At the same time, Pyongyang is likely to maintain its cautious, indifferent approach toward Seoul, the ministry said.

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