South Korea Restarts Gyeongwon Line Railway Restoration

President Lee Jae-myung authorized the restoration of a disconnected section of the Gyeongwon Line railway near the Demilitarized Zone. Originally launched in 2015, the project was suspended in 2016 following North Korean nuclear and missile tests. If completed, the line could eventually link Seoul to the North Korean city of Wonsan.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced the resumption, stating the project aims to improve access to ecological and peace tourism sites and stimulate economic activity in border regions. This decision comes after the Government of North Korea destroyed road and rail links across the border in 2024.

To support these efforts, the South Korean government proposed broadening the use of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund. The fund has remained largely unspent for a decade due to frozen relations, and the new proposal would allow it to support domestic border-area projects and reunification studies.