Koreas in talks over cross

North and South Korean officials try to connect a railroad during a groundbreaking ceremony for a project for road and railway links, in this December 2018 photo. Korea Times file

Officials of South and North Korea met Thursday to discuss cooperation in modernizing and connecting roads across their border, a unification ministry official said.

The meeting at the joint liaison office in the North's border town of Gaeseong was attended by senior transportation officials of the two Koreas, according to the official.

"They are exchanging views on issues of mutual concern, including road-related technologies," he told reporters.

The leaders of the two Koreas agreed in April to modernize and link the railways and roads along the eastern and western regions of the Korean Peninsula for balanced development and co-prosperity.

In a related move, they conducted joint surveys of a North Korean section of the road along the western region last August. For the road in the eastern part, they carried out just a simple check without the necessary equipment.

Observers said the two sides were likely to discuss when to conduct joint in-depth surveys of the road along the east coast.

South Korea has reportedly completed consultations with the United Nations Security Council on sanctions exemptions for equipment needed to be taken to the North for the surveys.

The two Koreas held a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the road and railway connection project in December, but actual construction is yet to be launched amid ongoing denuclearization talks and existing multilayered sanctions on North Korea. (Yonhap)