North, South Korea agree to reconnect roads, rail amid U.S. concern over easing sanctions

[webfact]

North, South Korea agree to reconnect roads, rail amid U.S. concern over easing sanctions

By Hyonhee Shin

 

North Korea's Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, shakes hands with South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon during their meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom inside demilitarized zone, South Korea, October 15, 2018. Korea Pool/Yonhap via REUTERS

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North and South Korea agreed on Monday to begin reconnecting rail and road links, another step in an improving relationship that has raised U.S. concern about the possible undermining of its bid to press the North to give up its nuclear programme.

 

The agreement on transport links came during talks in the border village of Panmunjom, aimed at following up on the third summit this year between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, last month.

 

"The South and North reached the agreement after sincerely discussing action plans to develop inter-Korean relations to a new, higher stage," said a joint statement released by the South's Unification Ministry.

 

They agreed to hold ceremonies in late November or early December to inaugurate work on reconnecting the railways and roads that have been cut since the 1950-53 Korean War.

 

The two sides will carry out joint field studies on the transport plans from late this month, according to the joint statement.

 

They also agreed to discuss late this month a plan to pursue a bid to co-host the 2032 Olympic Games.

 

The talks were led by the South's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the North's committee for peaceful reunification that handles cross-border affairs.

 

"We are at a very critical moment for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the advancement of inter-Korean relations, and there's also a second North Korea-U.S. summit coming up," Cho told reporters before leaving for Panmunjom.

 

Talks between the two Koreas are running in parallel with U.S. efforts to press North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and missiles that the North says can hit the U.S. mainland.

 

Kim held an unprecedented summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in June in Singapore and the two sides are arranging a second meeting, which Trump said would likely happen after U.S. congressional elections on Nov. 6.

 

But despite the meeting between Kim and Trump, the United States is still pursuing a policy of "maximum pressure" to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes.

 

Trump said on Wednesday South Korea would not lift sanctions on North Korea without U.S. approval.

 

The rail and road initiative and the joint Olympics bid were agreed by Moon and Kim at their latest summit, in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

 

Moon also said the North would permanently abolish key missile facilities in the presence of foreign experts.

 

The leaders of the two Koreas also endorsed a military pact, which includes the halting of military exercises, a no-fly zone near their border and the gradual removal of landmines and guard posts within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed "discontent" over that agreement, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said last week.

 

Kang's remarks amounted to a rare confirmation of discord between South Korea and the United States, though the allies have said they remain in lockstep on North Korea.

 

In August, a plan for an inspection by the two Koreas for the rail project was scrapped after the United Nations Command (UNC), which overlaps with U.S. forces in the South and oversees affairs in the DMZ, rejected the passage of a test train carrying fuel, military sources said.

 

Cho, asked before the meeting if the UNC had given approval for a study of transport links over the DMZ, said: "We're in close consultation with relevant countries."

 

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joint Press Corps; Editing by Darren Schuettler, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-15

[keith101]

If both North and South Korea decide to end the war and with possibility of reunification through everything its a good idea and the US should keep its nose out of it other than to help facilitate their actions . The Koreas are not a part or territory of the US and Trump should be mindful of that and tread carefully instead of using his childish bully tactics to boost his own ego . 

[IAMHERE]

South Korea can do as they please, the USA is always willing to fight and die for their right to do so.

[Tug]

Donald and the rest of us have to accept n Korea is a nuclear power fully empowered by trumps incompetence the cat is out of the bag get used to it

[car720]

Let the Russians try. 

[Srikcir]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

"The South and North reached the agreement after sincerely discussing action plans to develop inter-Korean relations to a new, higher stage,"

In his recent UN speech Trump laid out his case for laid for patriotism and against globalism.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/trump-abandoning-globalism-will-cause-america-irreparable-harm.html

In other speeches Trump has focused on US foreign policies intended to put the interests of the US first, as he expects other nations to do so as well. Patriotism is putting your country first before the needs of other countries. Guess what Moon is now doing.

So it seems that Moon is abandoning decades of US globalism and now aimed at denuclearizing North Korea for South Korea's own patriotic self-interests for establishing normal relationship with North Korea through limited reunification. 

But Trump doesn't commit to his own policies. So expect him to reverse himself and criticize South Korea's sovereign right to direct negotiations with North Korea irrespective of US regional security needs that can undermine the predominance of the US power.  

Ironically the greatest threat to Trump's Asian foreign policy would be a peace deal between North and South Korea without US approval. While a formal peace regime officially ending the Korean War would need buy in from the US and China -- the other participants in the conflict -- experts agree that there is nothing to stop the two Korea's declaring an end to the war themselves, or signing a bilateral peace treaty. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/22/asia/north-korea-south-korea-peace-treaty-intl/index.html

Maybe Trump get a Noble Prize for Anti-Peace?

[connda]

If North and South Korea embrace rapprochement, then the gaping pit on the Korean Peninsula that the USG and the Defense Industry dump billions of USD into closes.  That can't be allow to occur. 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, connda said:

If North and South Korea embrace rapprochement, then the gaping pit on the Korean Peninsula that the USG and the Defense Industry dump billions of USD into closes.  That can't be allow to occur. 

 

How strange. Both North and South Korea are improving their close relationship yet you and the US government don't approve of it.

 

Can you please explain why not.

 

quotes from the OP.

Trump said on Wednesday South Korea would not lift sanctions on North Korea without U.S. approval.

 

The leaders of the two Koreas also endorsed a military pact, which includes the halting of military exercises, a no-fly zone near their border and the gradual removal of landmines and guard posts within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed "discontent" over that agreement, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said last week.

 

 

[mikecha]

59 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

How strange. Both North and South Korea are improving their close relationship yet you and the US government don't approve of it.

 

Can you please explain why not.

 

quotes from the OP.

Trump said on Wednesday South Korea would not lift sanctions on North Korea without U.S. approval.

 

The leaders of the two Koreas also endorsed a military pact, which includes the halting of military exercises, a no-fly zone near their border and the gradual removal of landmines and guard posts within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed "discontent" over that agreement, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said last week.

 

 

well  Donald wanted America first   well it is the wish of both south and north Korea to join up again thats great 

but as said the billion,s of dollars that are in south Korea will hurt America if both decide to just go on together so realy nobody wants a reunite  again america and its big mouth loose 

i happy that the north and south are trying its best to reunite  last year was quite a situation not want that again