S. Korean team visits N. Korea to inspect railways in western region

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean officials visited North Korea on Tuesday to inspect railway conditions in the western region as part of efforts to modernize and eventually connect railways over the inter-Korean border. The 15-member team, headed by Hwang Sung-gyu, a senior transportation ministry official, crossed into the North at around 8:30 a.m. on a bus, according to a unification ministry official. The team is to conduct a joint inspection with North Korean officials on the 15.3 kilometer-long railways running from the North's border town of Kaesong to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that separates the two Koreas. This follows the team's on-site inspection of the North's Mount Kumgang-MDL section of the railways along the eastern coast of the peninsula. The overall conditions of the railways and their surroundings were found to be in relatively good shape. After Tuesday's inspection, the two Koreas plan to hold their first joint research team meeting in Kaesong in which they will exchange views and determine the dates for more inspections on other sections, the official said. The leaders of the two Koreas agreed in April to work together in modernizing and connecting railways running across their border. In working-level talks last month, the two Koreas agreed to jointly conduct inspections on railways running in their western region and along the eastern coast. kokobj@yna.co.kr (END)