Temporary Road to be Opened Next Month

South and North Korea are reported to have agreed to open a temporary road linking Munsan, South Korea to Gaeseong, North Korea as early as next month before the proposed completion of the Gyeongui Line linking Seoul to Shineuiju Railroad by the end of this year.

A government official said yesterday, "There was a consensus made between the two sides at the 2nd meeting of the Economic Cooperation Promotion Committees held recently in Seoul about the early opening of the temporary road for a smooth operation of the construction work for the Gyeongui Line. Some went so far as to propose that the South Korean delegation for the 1st working-level talks for the construction of a Gaesung Industrial Complex visit North Korea via the temporary road to be soon opened."

The 24 km of the total Gyeongui that should be reconnected include the 12km-section between Munsan and the Demarcation Line and another 12km-section between the Demarcation Line and Gaesung. But the section in the South Korean side except in the Demilitarized Zone has already been restored. So currently, 1.8km-section between the Dorasan Station and the Demarcation Line and 12km-section between the Demarcation Line and Gaesung are left to be restored.

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com