S. Korea, DPRK agree on rough timetable for formal opening of inter-Korean rails, roads

South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed to formally open two sets of inter-Korean railways and roads around late October, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Sunday.

The agreement was clinched at the end of a three-day inter-Korean working-level meeting on the inter-Korean transportation links issue in the DPRK's border city of Kaesong which ended on Saturday.

The two sides also agreed to conduct test runs of trains once authorities from both sides agree to provide military safeguards for the transportation.

South Korea and the DPRK started the reconstruction of the two sets of railways and roads across the sealed land border in September 2002.

The Gyeonggui railway links Seoul with Pyongyang in the west part of the Korean Peninsula, while the Donghae railway in the east part of the peninsula links South Korean east port city to the DPRK's famous Mount Geumgang.

In the Kaesong meeting, representatives concurred on the need to build a joint management committee and agreed to exchange lists of the names of panel members in the near future, said Yonhap.

The management committee is expected to provide formal backing for future operations of both the railways and roads.

The inter-Korean roads which are located respectively near the two sets of railways have already partially opened. Currently, South Korean entrepreneurs use the west inter-Korean road to transport their goods produced in the DPRK's Kaesong Industrial Park. While South Korea and the DPRK launched the overland tour to Geumgang mountain in late last year by transporting South Korean visitors through the east inter-Korean road.

Yonhap also said the two sides agreed to have further discussion on details of formal opening of the two overland routes.

Source: Xinhua