South and North Korea held a special groundbreaking ceremony this week to highlight their shared desire to eventually link and modernize their railways and roads.
But before any actual construction started, it's crucial to know the exact condition of railways and roads in the North.
The two sides also need to consider how to make it an effective transport network.
Oh Jung-hee reports.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once spoke very frankly about the status of the regime's transportation system.
That... was at his first summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in back in April.
"Chairman Kim said that he's concerned, to be honest, that things could be quite uncomfortable for President Moon when he visits North Korea, due to poor local transportation systems. He added it could be quite embarrassing."
And such remark has been verified by South Korean inspectors who went to the North for rail surveys.
They found... trains there can go about twenty to sixty kilometers an hour.
Tracks where trains don't run regularly have deteriorated,... while some sections can't allow high speeds because of steep hills, curves, tunnels and bridges.
"The rail condition isn't too good and we thought it'd be impossible for trains to run at high speeds. The case is similar for the western rails."
Roads are in similar or worse conditions.
Among different modes of transport,... North Korea depends on railways by up to 86-percent,... on roads by 12-percent and sea travel by 2-percent.
Roads have been less highlighted as SOCs and less developed than railways... because of the regime's economic focus on heavy industries... and the high cost.
In contrast, South Korea has a road-centered transport network, enabling free movement of people and goods.
The stark difference between the two Koreas' transport networks suggests that the two sides should focus on preventing ineffectiveness in logistics connections.
For example, when they operated their joint factory park, the Gaeseong Industrial Complex,... the South Korean items had to be carried by truck, by train and then by truck again to enter the complex.
The situation also prompts another question: How and to what extent should North Korea's railways and roads be (quote)"modernized"?
"If more roads are created and railways are upgraded in the North, then more goods and passengers will come and go, which will lead to a demand for higher speed and better technology. How to replace the existing poor railway system, set communication facilities and provide electricity is what really needs to be considered."
Linking and upgrading the inter-Korean transport network could take decades and cost an astronomical amount of money.
But the economic benefits are expected to outweigh the costs, being over 2-point-5 billion U.S. dollars for the next 30 years, just for linking the western railways.
And above all, experts point out... the transport connection could lead Pyeongyang to gradually open up its economy.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang
