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Inter-Korean railway inspection to be launched Friday

Posted November. 29, 2018 07:43,   

Updated November. 29, 2018 07:43

한국어

The two Koreas will launch an 18-day joint local investigation on North Korea’s side of the inter-Korean railway of some 2,600-kilometer long that follows North Korea’s railway. It has been three months since the inspection was pushed forward at the end of August, which was foundered by opposition of the United Nations Command. Previously, the South Korean government obtained approval of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea and the United States on exempting sanctions for this inspection.

The South Korean Ministry of Unification revealed on Wednesday that joint inspections will be performed for the Kaesong-Sinuiju section of Gyeongui Line railway (some 400 kilometers) for six days from November 30 to December 5 and the Mt. Keumgang-Duman river section of the East Sea Line railway (some 800 kilometers) for 10 days from December 8 to December 17. The Kaesong-Sinuiju section of the Gyeongui Line railway went through local inspections for seven days from December 12 to 18 in 2007. The East Sea Line railway section, however, is the first time for a South Korean railway vehicle to drive through since the country’s division.

South Korea’s railway vehicles are consisted of six units including generator train, tanker, coach, sleeping car, sleeping and eating car, and covered wagon (water wagon). It will start local inspections after it is connected with North Korea’s train. The inspection will first start from Kaesong, finishing off in Sinuiju of the Gyeongui Line railway and head back to Pyongyang. Afterwards, it will pick up South Korea’s group of inspectors at Anbyon through Wonsan to inspect the East Sea Line railway, and head back to Seoul via Wonsan, Pyongyang, and Kaesong after completing the inspection to the Duman River.

The South Korean government is also planning to deliver 50-ton chemicals to prevent pine wilt disease to Kaesong region on Thursday through Gyeongui Line highway. The Ministry of Unification said that the chemicals to prevent pine wilt disease, which is also known as the "AIDS of pine trees," is not subject to sanctions by the United Nations.


Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com