With the groundbreaking ceremony for modernization and reconnection of inter-Korean railways and roads slated for Dec. 26, similar events held more than a decade ago are being remembered. But analysts say that with a shift in circumstances surrounding the Korean Peninsula since, the focus has now moved to “modernizing” North Korea’s railway system rather than “reconnecting” sections of cross-border tracks. “In the early 2000s, it was more about ‘reconnecting’ the railways, but North Korea has sh

North Korea Dec. 16, 2018

The two Koreas agreed on Thursday to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the modernization and reconnection of cross-border railways and roads this month, in accordance with the agreement reached between the two leaders in September. “As a result of an inter-Korean meeting (held Thursday), a consensus that the groundbreaking ceremony should be held on Dec. 26 at Panmun Station in North Korea’s border town of Kaesong was reached,” a statement released by the South’s Ministry of Unification said. I

North Korea Dec. 13, 2018

South Korea reaffirmed that it will swiftly discuss with North Korea holding a groundbreaking ceremony to link cross-border roads and railways by the end of the year, the South’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. A ministry official told reporters that the government will specify its plans to hold the ceremony by “swiftly carrying on” negotiations with the North on the matter, while stressing that the event is an agreement reached between the leaders of the two Koreas in September. Though th

North Korea Dec. 11, 2018

South Korea’s budget allocated for inter-Korean projects next year has exceeded 1 trillion won ($890.7 million) for the first time since 2016, the Ministry of Unification said Monday. A total of 1.1 trillion won has been earmarked for the inter-Korean cooperation fund in 2019, which is 15 percent higher than the 959.3 billion won set aside for 2018, the ministry said in a report. The ministry noted that this is the first time in three years that the fund has risen to over 1 trillion won.  A Sout

North Korea Dec. 10, 2018

The latest series of overseas trips by ranking North Korean officials is a sign of the regime’s efforts to emphasize its policy shift toward diplomacy and a more open economy, coupled with its hopes of being viewed as a normal state before the end of the year, experts say.Since late November, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, has visited several Latin American countries including Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico to improve ties with those nations. He met with South Korean Foreign M

North Korea Dec. 3, 2018

South Korea has decided to exempt a part of an inter-Korean road project from a preliminary feasibility study, reports citing officials said Sunday, in a sign that the South hopes to make as much progress as it can this year on inter-Korean cooperation projects.  (Joint Press Corp.)According to Yonhap News Agency, the construction of an 11.8-kilometer highway between Munsan and Dorasan Station in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border, will be exempted from the customary feasibility study.

North Korea Dec. 2, 2018

South Korea sent about 50 tons of pesticides to North Korea on Thursday to aid its fight against pine tree diseases, the Ministry of Unification said, amid signs of slow progress on stalled inter-Korean cooperation projects. Vehicles loaded with the chemicals crossed the military demarcation line, the de facto border bisecting the Korean Peninsula, via a western land route at around 8:30 a.m., a ministry official said. The materials were loaded at a parking lot in the North’s border town of Kaes

North Korea Nov. 29, 2018

The two Koreas have agreed to begin a joint inspection of cross-border railways this week, which involves the test-operation of trains on North Korean rail tracks, the Ministry of Unification said Wednesday. “The South and North agreed to start an 18-day joint inspection of the inter-Korean railway by moving about 2,600 kilometers along the North Korean section of the railway from Nov. 30,” the ministry said. The joint operation will be divided into two parts. The first part will involve a six-d

North Korea Nov. 28, 2018

North Korea’s foreign minister is reportedly scheduled to visit Vietnam later this week, with reports saying his intention is to learn more about the Southeast Asian country’s model of economic reform. But experts say Vietnam’s special economic zones may be even higher on the agenda. Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will embark on a trip to Vietnam from Thursday to Sunday, a Vietnamese news agency reported Monday, citing Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry. The ministry added that Ri is to visit Vietnam at th

North Korea Nov. 27, 2018

North Korea’s state-run newspaper on Monday lambasted the US, claiming that the country has been using the communist nation’s human rights conditions as a means to draw concessions in denuclearization talks between the two countries. In a Korean-language commentary titled “Dissecting the US’ hideous intentions reflected in its complaints on human rights issues,” Rodong Sinmun mentioned the Human Rights Watch report released earlier this month, which had claimed there was widespread sexual violen

North Korea Nov. 26, 2018

South Korea has proposed to North Korea that the two countries begin a joint railway inspection by the end of this week, the South’s Ministry of Unification said Monday.“(The ministry) has acknowledged that there are ongoing discussions (regarding the joint survey on cross-border railways) this week,” Baik Tae-hyun, a ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing. A test-operation of a train on a section of a cross-border railway running through the west coast of the Korean Peninsula in 2007

North Korea Nov. 26, 2018

With North Korea expressing its willingness to denuclearize at the landmark summit with the US in June, many thought that it would be a matter of time before the sanctions layered against the regime were lifted. Fast forward almost some five months later, the US-led pressure campaign has only grown stronger, continuing to choke the North economically.  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (far right) gives field guidance at Taegwan Glass Factory in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, Rodong Sinmun r

North Korea Nov. 25, 2018

South Korea, the US and other concerned parties are discussing temporary sanctions exemptions for a joint railway field survey with North Korea, a Unification Ministry official said Thursday.The two Koreas are “behind schedule” in implementing their plans to modernize and reconnect cross-border railways after the US-led United Nations Command declined South Korea’s proposal to test-run its train across the border in August, citing procedural problems. Dramatic progress on the project, which was

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2018

Most of Gyeonggi Province’s planned inter-Korean projects failed to materialize this year and are likely to be pushed back to next year.In late 2017, Gyeonggi allocated 5.5 billion won ($4.9 million) for inter-Korean cooperation projects, but so far only 1.8 billion won has been spent, according to Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. In keeping with the mood of detente that arrived on the Korean Peninsula after the inter-Korean summit held in April at the truce village of Panmunjom, Gyeonggi Provinc

North Korea Nov. 21, 2018

Expectations are mounting over how China will use its clout to push North Korea back to dialogue with the US, after the leaders of China and South Korea agreed to cooperate to bring about a possible second US-North Korea summit. But experts are skeptical that China will play an active role, considering its ongoing trade war with the US. On the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Papua New Guinea on Saturday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart,

North Korea Nov. 18, 2018