South Korea renews plan for inter-Korean railway in broader push for diplomatic reset

South Korea has announced plans to resume construction of a railway section that could eventually reconnect the country with North Korea's eastern city of Wonsan, reviving an infrastructure project that has been on hold for a decade amid strained inter-Korean relations.

The Ministry of Unification told President Lee Jae Myung during a policy briefing on July 5 that construction is scheduled to be completed by 2029, Caliber.Az reports, referring to Korean media outlets.

The railway project was originally launched in 2015 but suspended a year later after relations between Seoul and Pyongyang deteriorated.

In 2024, North Korea demolished road and rail links across the heavily fortified border, known as the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), as part of its policy of redefining South Korea as a hostile state, further reducing prospects for cross-border connectivity.

Broader push for normalising Korean ties

During its briefing, the Unification Ministry presented a broader policy agenda focused on peaceful conflict resolution, crisis management and a long-term goal of achieving a denuclearised Korean Peninsula and lasting peace in Northeast Asia.

As part of that strategy, the ministry proposed ending the official characterisation of North Korea as the country's "main enemy," arguing that the change would support efforts to pursue peaceful coexistence and revive long-stalled inter-Korean dialogue.

The ministry also reaffirmed Seoul's practice of referring to its northern neighbor simply as "North Korea" rather than its official state name, reflecting South Korea's position under the 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement that the two Koreas are not recognized as separate sovereign states.

In addition, officials said they aim to revive the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce tensions along the border and promote the peaceful use of the DMZ.

The ministry is also seeking to revise regulations governing the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, allowing its resources to be used for peace-oriented economic zones, privately led unification initiatives and research related to North Korea.

By Nazrin Sadigova