Work on southern section of inter-Korean railway to resume soon: Seoul

Seoul, November 10 - Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung announced on Tuesday that work will resume on the South Korean portion of a railway line linking the two Koreas. The remarks were made during a seminar in Seoul, as the government strives to restore the South Korean segment of the Gyeongwon Line, which once connected Seoul to North Korea's eastern port city of Wonsan.

The last reachable station on the southern section is Baekmagoji in Gangwon Province, and the ministry aims to begin construction between Baekmagoji and Woljeong-ri Station, the northernmost station on the South Korean side, situated close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two nations.

The restoration initiative seeks to establish a pathway connecting both Koreas, according to Kim. Earlier this year, the ministry informed the National Assembly of its plan to conduct preparatory work this year and recommence construction on the cross-border line next year. Restoration of the railway commenced in 2015 but halted in May 2016 following North Korea's fourth nuclear test earlier that year.

Kim stressed that peace is not achieved through declaration, but rather through gradual progress when people engage with one another face to face. The ministry plans to facilitate such interactions by constructing transportation infrastructure and bolstering tourism in the border region. Additionally, Kim called for increased interest from the private sector and the international community, emphasizing that tourism in the border area cannot be sustained by the government alone.