A South Korean delegation left for North Korea on Wednesday to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for reconnecting roads and railways across the divided peninsula despite stalled denuclearization talks.
A nine-car special train carrying 100 South Koreans, including officials and five people born in the North, was seen leaving Seoul railway station early in the morning for a two-hour journey to the North's border city of Kaesong.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North's leader, Kim Jong Un, agreed to hold the ceremony by the end of this year when they met at their third summit, in Pyongyang in September.
Concerns arose that the train and other materials being brought into the North for the ceremony could breach various sanctions imposed on the isolated regime over its nuclear weapons program, but the U.N. Security Council reportedly granted a waiver for the event.
Seoul stressed that the ceremony would not herald the start of actual work on reconnecting and modernizing road and rail links between the Koreas — which remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty.
Expression of intent
The event is a mere "expression of a commitment" to the projects, a South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman said, adding that construction would depend on "progress on the North's denuclearization and circumstances concerning sanctions."
The two sides wrapped up their joint railway and road inspections for the projects this month.
South Korea has set aside $620,000 for the endeavor.
The ceremony comes as the United States ramps up efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
Following a rapid rapprochement earlier this year that culminated in a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim, progress has stalled with both sides accusing each other of dragging their feet and acting in bad faith.
Critics say North Korea has made no concrete commitments and is unlikely to surrender its atomic arsenal, while Washington's policy of maintaining pressure through isolation and sanctions has left Pyongyang seething.
Trump said Monday that he was "looking forward" to his second summit with Kim, which Washington says may take place early next year.
He tweeted the statement after he was briefed by Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative on North Korea, who wrapped up a three-day trip to Seoul on Saturday.
Travel ban
Biegun said last week that the United States will be more lenient in enforcing its blanket ban on U.S. citizens' travel to the totalitarian state when dealing with aid workers, a goodwill gesture as Trump seeks a fresh summit.
The Trump administration has generally refused to let U.S. aid groups operate in North Korea, seeking to both maximize pressure on Pyongyang and ensure the safety of Americans.
Biegun also said in Seoul last week that Washington was willing to discuss trust-building initiatives with Pyongyang.
Senior transport officials from Russia, China and Mongolia as well as several foreign ambassadors to South Korea will attend Wednesday's ceremony, the South's Unification Ministry said.
