Russia plans to build rail link between South, North Korea and Siberia

The Russian government has decided to embark on a construction project to link the trans-Siberia railway to the South-North Korean railroad within this year, Russian Minister of Railways Nikolai Aksenenko said Monday.

Minister Aksenenko, who is visiting North Korea to evaluate the feasibility of the project, emphasized that Russia is prepared to give North Korea technical, construction and financial support in building the railway on its territory up to the inter-Korean border, AFP reported.

The news report also said that the Russian minister will soon sign a contract on the railway link project in Pyongyang.

Experts estimate that the project will cost more than $500 million.