SOUTH KOREA and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) began talks yesterday to discuss ways to connect and modernize inter-Korean railways.

Delegations from the two sides kicked off the talks at about 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) as scheduled at Peace House, a South Korean building in the border village of Panmunjom, according to a pool report.

It was aimed to discuss the connection of railways along the eastern and western corridors across the two Koreas and the modernization of the DPRK’s railways.

The three-member South Korean delegation was led by Kim Jeong-ryeol, second vice minister for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Vice Railroad Minister Kim Yun Hyok led the three-member delegation from Pyongyang.

The South Korean chief delegate told reporters before heading to the dialogue venue that he would discuss with his DPRK counterpart necessary issues for the inter-Korean railway connection and modernization.

(Xinhua)