[Editorial] What a Pitiful Daydream of Kyung-Eui Railroad !

President Kim Dae-Jung said a couple of days ago that "I received a report that the North is moving forward to reconnect the Kyung-eui railroad by repairing its barracks for the construction." It is understandable that President Kim had expected more positive responses for the Inter-Korean issues from the North. However, it seems odd that the President released some kind of signs, which are not quite certain to assure.

All Koreans are wishing for the re-connection of the Kyung-eui railroad. The project would be a symbol for the `balanced development of the national economy` declared in the 6.15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration and also a significant step politically and militarily. However, the problem is that the North has done little progress in its construction since the re-connection was agreed in July 2000 while the South had completed the construction. The North has nothing done since it had withdrawn its construction troops and equipments from the sites in May last year.

Therefore, the re-connection of the Kyung-eui railroad is definitely dependent upon the will of the North. However, the South had struggled with deciphering the true intention of the North. The `interpretations of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Unification on the North`s repairing of the barracks are different.

It seems not appropriate for the President to express his expectation, based on the ambiguous trivial movement of the North. It looks like the South government being alternatively happy and miserable at a single gesture of the North. President Kim had said before the 5th Minister level meeting in September last year, "the issue of the Kyung-eui railroad will be agreed at his meeting and it`s not far from the day when we go to Pyong-yang by train." It seems the same situation comes around.

The over expectation of the President may affect negatively to the Inter-Korean dialogue since the North could stick to an unreasonable demand by misinterpreting the South`s determination to the dialogue. Such phenomenon has proved in the previous Inter-Korean dialogues led by the government. The Kyung-eui re-connection project could be the same case. It is appropriate to wait and see until the North voluntarily comes out to resume the reconstruction of the Kyung-eui railroad. Isn`t it the North that should hurry?