Trains Cross Between North Korea and South Korea For First Time in 56 Years*

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  05.17.07 | 5:30 PM ET

koreamap

The test run of two five-car trains today was met with “jubilation and pride,” according to the Washington Post. One train ran from Munsan, South Korea to Gaesong, North Korea, and the other linked the Diamond Mountain resort in the North to the town of Jejin in the South, and both journeys were covered live by South Korean television networks. Each train carried 150 people from North and South and “new hopes of peace and unification,” writes Joohee Cho in the Post.

The test was a long-time coming—the project began in 2000 with 73,000 workers—and carried all sorts of political and economic implications. South Korea, for instance, would like to see the railroad extend into China and Russia, where it would link with Europe via the Trans-Siberian railway.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports, however, that North Korea so far has only agreed to this one-time event, so whether travelers will eventually be able to make an epic journey from South Korea all the way to Europe via rail is still an open question.

Tags: Train Travel, Asia, North Korea, South Korea, News and Briefs


2 Comments for Trains Cross Between North Korea and South Korea For First Time in 56 Years*

margaret pitt-bradley 11.09.07 | 5:53 PM ET

Can you help me with travel tours to include both South & North Korea?  I would like to travel at the beginning of August unless you suggest I might consider traveling during early spring; i.e., April or May.  At the moment I’m thinking about spending 3-4 days in North Korea along with 4-5 days in South Korea. These number of days are flexible.  I have a single woman who will be traveling alone.  Do you have a tour company you might suggest I should contact?  Thank you for any information you can offer.  Margaret Pitt-Bradley

NAV 06.26.08 | 7:18 AM ET

There are great progress in their relations since that time.

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