FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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North Korea and South Korea Determined To Begin Rail Inspection in October

Sept. 29, 2018 (EIRNS)—A few weeks ago, North and South Korea attempted to perform a joint testing of the existing rail lines across the border, to determine where reconstruction will be necessary, in time to meet their self-defined deadline for opening the lines by the end of the year. However, Gen. Vincent Brooks, head of the UN Command which controls the DMZ, refused to let the train pass through the DMZ, claiming it would break sanctions.

On Sept. 28, however, South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom announced from Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential residence, that the two Koreas would perform the rail testing before the end of October, saying only that “We are going to negotiate with the United Nations Command (UNC) over the plan by the two Koreas.”

“To hold a groundbreaking ceremony for inter-Korean railways and highways this year,” said Kim, “we need to kick off the field inspections at least within next month.” This would be necessary to “fulfill the recent agreement reached during the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, where President Moon Jae-in agreed on the plan with his northern counterpart Kim Jong-un,” said the Korea Times.

The Times reports that the plan is expected to go forward in light of the successful meeting between Presidents Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump in New York this past week.

“A roadmap over the North Korean policy has been drawn during Moon’s U.S. visit when he delivered the speech and held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump,”

Kim Eui-kyeom said.