Officials from the two Koreas have agreed to start joint check-ups on parts of the railroads located within North Korea... and those that cross the inter-Korean border.
Our Unification Ministry correspondent Oh Jung-hee has more.
The two Koreas will form a joint investigation team and get down to checking the status of North Korean and inter-Korean railroads next month.
This... as agreed at Tuesday's inter-Korean talks on connecting and modernizing railways between the two Koreas.
"South and North Korea confirmed each other's stance that railway cooperation is greatly important to achieving a balanced economic development and common prosperity."
There are two railway lines the two Koreas are hoping to work on: the Gyeongui Line that links Seoul and North Korean city of Sinuiju... and the Donghae Line, along the eastern coast of the peninsula.
From July 24th, Seoul and Pyongyang will start a joint investigation on ***parts of these raillines in North Korea first.
The two Koreas also hope to jointly check parts of the railways that cut through the inter-Korean border, starting from mid-July.
"We agreed to connect and modernize the Gyeongui and Donghae lines at a high level, and agreed to arrange practical measures for design and construction. We will also hold a groundbreaking ceremony soon in accordance with the results."
However,... concerns remain on these railway projects... as South Korean resources and equipment will have to go into North Korea for construction, which may violate international sanctions on North Korea.
The South Korean delegation explained:
"There might be times when our work collides with international sanctions, but the government's stance is that we will work these out within the framework of sanctions and after close discussions with the international community."
The two Koreas agreed to communicate further through their contact channel to settle on the detailed schedules on preparations for the joint investigation next month.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
