US supports inter-Korean railway cooperation: S. Korea

By Kim Bo-eun

Stephen Biegun

Lee Do-hoon

The U.S. is strongly supportive of preparations to connect the rail networks of the two Koreas, according to South Korea's nuclear envoy.

“The U.S. is showing strong and full support for the joint inspections to connect the railways of the South and North,” Lee Do-hoon, the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, told correspondents in Washington, Tuesday (local time)

The remarks came after South Korean and U.S. officials held their first working group meeting the same day, amid a continued delay in getting inspections started after denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington stalled.

Lee and his counterpart, Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, jointly chaired the meeting.

Leaders of the South and North agreed at their third summit in September to hold a groundbreaking ceremony to connect their railway lines within the year. At a high-level meeting held the following month, the Koreas agreed to hold the ceremony in late October or early November.

Toward that end, inspections of rail sections in the North need to be conducted, but they have yet to be carried out, because the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) has not approved of a plan for a South Korean train carrying personnel and supplies to cross the military demarcation line (MDL).

This is because carrying supplies such as oil violates U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang. South Korea has sought for exemptions to be made for inter-Korean projects, but the inspection plan has faced continued delays.

Lee said South Korea is still seeking to hold the groundbreaking ceremony within the year.

He added that the meeting also addressed denuclearization, establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean relations.

“The purpose of establishing the working group is to systematize and regularize bilateral discussions that have taken place so far,” he said.

The envoy said Biegun told him about the current situation surrounding talks between Washington and Pyongyang and they shared views on a joint strategy for when the talks take place.

Discussions are currently known to be underway regarding holding a high-level meeting, which was set to take place earlier this month, but postponed due to North Korea's request. The meeting is expected to clarify Pyongyang's denuclearization steps and corresponding measures Washington will offer.

The working group includes officials from South Korea's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, and Cheong Wae Dae's National Security Office.

On the U.S. side are officials of the state and treasury departments, and the White House National Security Council.

“We have made clear to the Republic of Korea that we do want to make sure that peace on the peninsula and the denuclearization of North Korea aren't lagging behind the increase in the amount of inter-relations between the two Koreas,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said regarding the meeting.

“We view them as being in tandem, as moving forward together. We view them as important parallel processes, and that working group is designed to make sure they continue to remain that way.”

The working group is seen to have been established to keep inter-Korean cooperation in check, amid slow progress in the North's denuclearization.