The first railway connecting the north and the south … "North Korea and the ceremony of inauguration of the works"

A joint survey of the North-South rail connection and the modernization of the North Korean railways will begin on the 30th and 18th of the month.

The Gyeongui and Donghae lines are both subject to a 2600-kilometer survey.

To this end, our train will travel to the North Korean Railway ten years after November 28, 2008.

The investigation will be conducted by connecting the wagons of the south train and the north side to the North Korean locomotive.28 Korean survey teams will be guided by the North Korean investigation team and will thoroughly check the state of rail, station facilities, bridges and tunnels.

Southern trains to invest in the survey are six generators, including power generation vehicles, tank cars, wagons, sleeper cars, erosion vehicles and wagons. of goods (loading of water).

◇ Tomorrow morning at Dorasan Station

On June 30, at 6:30 am, an investigation train from Seoul Station will arrive at 8:10 am at the northernmost station of Paju Dorasan, where the Minister of Unification, the Minister of the Unification, Kim Hyun-mi, and members of the National Assembly will attend the official ceremony of departure.

At the end of the ceremony, the engineer will perform a "Do not disturb you" for the train of cooperation and if Mr. Oh Young-sik KORAIL is at the neck of the silencer, the train will cross the military demarcation line and go back to the North Panmun Station.

At Panmun Station, the South Topographic Train connects the North Korean Locomotive and the South Locomotive returns immediately. This is because the signaling and communication systems are different and our locomotive can not operate the North Korean railway line.

The possibility of the opening ceremony of the railway link … Until the beginning of the actual construction,

The government plans to take six days to investigate the Gyeongui line and then about 10 days for the Donghae investigation. Given the time required for trains to move eastbound using parabolic trains, it is expected to complete the railway investigation on December 17th.

If the survey is completed as planned, there will remain room until the end of the year. The government therefore believes that it will be reasonable to organize the ceremony of inauguration of railway connection works by the end of the year.

The Unification Ministry met with reporters on March 30 and said, "We are going to hold a year 's inauguration ceremony by investigating roads along the railway line. is not urgent enough to abandon the inauguration ceremony. "

"North Korea is focusing on the inauguration ceremony and we will try to respect the agreement we concluded next year." The investigation having started at the end of the turning point, the inauguration ceremony with the North will begin in earnest. "He said.

However, discussions with the United States should take place to find out if sanctions should be re-imposed at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has ruled out a waiver of the exemption from the Joint Railway Inquiry.

An unification ministry official said: "The working group between Korea and the United States is in discussion on this issue, and we need to discuss the possibility of exonerating it again."

It is necessary to consult in advance the United Nations Security Council or the United States, depending on whether the ceremony of inauguration of the works takes place, the persons attending the ceremony or the points in conflict with the sanctions against the North Korea.

However, even if the inauguration ceremony takes place during the year, there are many mountains to overcome

The highest is the wall of sanctions against North Korea. For the serious connection and modernization of the railways, it is inevitable that the South will provide equipment and equipment, most of which go against the sanctions imposed by North Korea.

The Ministry of Unification has also been cautious: it should continue the basic plan as well as further investigations and designs after the joint railway investigation and indicate that the actual construction will continue in accordance with the progress of the denuclearization of North Korea. .

After the inauguration ceremony, it was reported that only the North Korean labor force, without the support of the South, was putting in place the infrastructure to connect the railways and the roads. The way in which the capital is injected when conditions are met is also examined.

Ahn Byung-min, director of the Institute of North Korean Infrastructure Research Institute of Korea Transportation, said: "Even after the inauguration ceremony, we will be able to enter the design after two more surveys. " After that, there is not much material or equipment to install, "he said.

The cost of connecting and modernizing railways is also a problem. Depending on the degree of modernization required by North Korea, the scope and duration of construction may vary and the required budget can be astronomical.

The minister of unification said: "The initial cost should be paid into the inter-Korean cooperation fund when the construction will be completed, but the agreement of the National Assembly is necessary," he said. -he declares. "Since then, it is possible to invest in the general budget and in the international company or private funds." We are also looking at many financing options. "

"Some people have a critical point of view, but the connection and modernization of the railways will do everything possible to implement the agreement as soon as the economic community of the Korean Peninsula, the new economic policy initiative and the East Asian Railway Community, "added the official.