Koreas come together

Suspicions remain high at the border between North and South

South Korea has announced that it is beginning work next month on a motorway linking it with North Korea.

The four-lane highway, which is expected to cost more than $50m, will run through the most heavily fortified frontier region in the world.

The new road is expected to take a year to construct and could later be expanded to an eight-lane road. It will run alongside a planned new railway track the two countries have already announced.

Troops are to be deployed to clear minefields and other barriers, and officials in Seoul say the North has agreed to carry out similar work on its side of the border.

Government officials in Seoul say the upcoming North-South ministerial meeting in Pyongyang at the end of August will finalise the location of stations along the revived rail track.

Co-operative atmosphere

The new links are another sign of waming relations between the two Koreas

Although the two Koreas are still technically at war, the historic North-South summit in June has helped create a new atmosphere of co-operation.

One such development is a programme of cross-border family reunions which is already underway.

According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the government says it will consider extending support to North Korea in terms of material, technology, manpower and funds if it is requested.

South Korea's Construction Minister, Kim Yoon-Ki said funds for the work would come from the government's South-North Co-operation Fund.

The minister said the road and rail links will assist in the movement of people and goods, and help form a united community on the Korean peninsula.

On a purely economic basis, analysts say the links could help expand inter-Korean trade by slashing transportation costs.