Exchanges and cooperation between two Koreas gaining speed on various fronts - PART 2

Ever since the historic Panmunjom summit between the leaders of the two Koreas in April,... Seoul and Pyongyang have been engaging in dialogue and working together in various fields.
As a result, we thought we'd take a look at the different areas in which they are working with one another.
In the second of our two-report special, our Oh Jung-hee walks us through their economic cooperation and civil exchanges.
(Chroma starts)
Today, we'll be focusing on how the two Koreas are gearing up for possible economic cooperation in the future.
It's crucial to have free movement of people and resources,... which is why South and North Korea held talks in late June to discuss connecting and modernizing railways and roads.
Let's start with the railways first.

There are two railway lines the two Koreas are hoping to work on: the Gyeongui Line that links Seoul and North Korean city of Sinuiju... and the Donghae Line, which runs along the east coast of the peninsula.
The South and the North are planning to inspect 2 sections of rail lines in North Korea... and 2 sections that cross the inter-Korean border.

Road connections.
On the eastern side of the peninsula, South and North Korea will inspect the section between South Korea's Goseong and North Korea's Wonsan... and on the western side,... the section between the North Korean cities of Kaesong and Pyongyang.
They'll begin on-site visits in early August.

Linking and modernizing railways and roads is tied to South Korean President Moon Jae-in's vision of a "New Economic Map" -- which aims to connect and develop economic belts with North Korea.
Seoul puts much weight on these projects, but at the same time, it's firm to make sure things remain within the framework of international sanctions.
And that is why Seoul and Pyongyang have decided to first begin with joint field inspections for now, because bringing South Korean resources and equipment into North Korea for constructions may violate international sanctions.
And if the projects go so far as to involve technology transfers,... South Korea plans to discuss with the international community the possibility of exceptions to the sanctions.

Meanwhile, forestry is another much-emphasized field -- it's where the two Koreas can work together as much as possible under the international sanctions.
Pyongyang has been stressing the need to restore its forests for years... and taking that into account, South Korea quickly formed a special task force for inter-Korean forestation projects immediately after the April summit.
At the forestry talks earlier this month, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to discuss running tree nurseries, agroforestry and more forestation projects... as well as kick-starting on-site visits for disease and pest control.

As for civil exchanges, 40 South Koreans have visited North Korea this year for purely civilian interactions.
A Buddhist monk visited Pyongyang for religious interactions,... a local cable broadcaster went u