South Korea will restart work on a disconnected section of the Gyeongwon Line near the Demilitarised Zone, reviving a project suspended a decade ago. The route could eventually form part of a rail connection to Wonsan on North Korea’s eastern coast.
The South Korean government is preparing to resume the restoration of a section of the Gyeongwon Line close to the border with North Korea, despite the continued diplomatic deadlock between Seoul and Pyongyang.
The decision was announced by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young during a presidential policy briefing. Work on the project began in 2015 but was suspended the following year as inter-Korean relations deteriorated.
The railway starts in Seoul and could, under more favourable political conditions, eventually provide a connection to Wonsan, a major city on North Korea’s eastern coast.
Work to resume near the Demilitarised Zone
The immediate project concerns a disconnected section of railway near the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone, rather than the reopening of a cross-border service.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said the restored infrastructure would improve access to peace and ecological tourism sites near the border and support economic activity in surrounding regions.
In the longer term, the railway could be incorporated into a route towards Wonsan, close to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone developed by North Korea.
The resort, which opened in 2025, has capacity for approximately 20,000 visitors and has been described by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a model for the future expansion of the country’s tourism industry.
North Korea destroyed cross-border links
Seoul’s decision comes despite North Korea’s destruction of sections of road and railway infrastructure connecting the two countries in 2024.
The demolitions formed part of Pyongyang’s policy of redefining South Korea as a hostile state and abandoning its previous commitment to peaceful reunification.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged the difficulties of pursuing engagement with a government that has repeatedly rejected Seoul’s calls for dialogue.
“It may feel like shouting into an echoless void,” Lee said during the briefing. “But peace and coexistence remain an important task. However difficult, we have to continue pursuing that policy.”
The restarted railway project should therefore be regarded as a long-term strategic investment rather than the beginning of an immediate reconnection between the two Korean rail networks.
Wider use proposed for cooperation fund
The Unification Ministry also proposed expanding the permitted uses of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, established to finance exchanges and humanitarian projects involving North Korea.
Most cross-border programmes have remained suspended since 2016 following North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests. As a result, only around 2% to 3% of the fund has been spent annually over the past decade, according to Chung.
The government is considering regulatory changes that would allow the fund to support projects in border regions, peace economy initiatives, reunification-related activities and research focused on North Korea.
Lee said the proposal was reasonable, noting that the fund had accumulated because there had been few opportunities to finance direct cooperation with Pyongyang.
Diplomatic dialogue remains blocked
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun separately said that multilateral negotiations involving North Korea, the United States and China were “realistically difficult” under current conditions.
North Korean issues are expected to be a priority during forthcoming discussions between Cho and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Indonesia had previously attempted to facilitate dialogue between the two Koreas, but Pyongyang did not respond to the initiative.
Until diplomatic conditions change, the restoration of the Gyeongwon Line section will primarily improve domestic access to South Korea’s border areas while preserving the possibility of a future railway connection towards North Korea.
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