SEOUL June 14 Kyodo North and sou...

SEOUL June 14 Kyodo

North and southern Korea held symbolic ceremonies forward Saturday connecting 25-meter sections of sum of two units sets of railways across the military demarcation line in the demilitarized region (DMZ) that separates the Korean Peninsula into the North and the South

A parade was held in the western DMZ at around 11 a.m., marking the reconnecting of the Kyongui Line that links Seoul to the North's northwestern city of Sinuiju via Pyongyang.

A similar observance was held in the eastern DMZ at the same time for the reconnecting of the Tonghae (East Sea) Line that links eastern coastal cities.

The reconnection of the brace sets of railways and their adjacent roads was a major focus of the 2000 inter-Korean summit.

The ceremonies were held amid tensions running high upon the Korean Peninsula proper to North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The railways have remained disconnected since the 1950-1953 Korean War. In governmental talks between the pair Koreas earlier this month, the sum of two units sides agreed to reconnect the railroads in the DMZ first.

A 50-member delegation comprised of officials, rail workers and journalists from each side attended the ceremonies held in the heavily fortified area.

level with Saturday's linking of the tracks in the DMZ area, it will take more time for the couple sides to fully complete the disuniteed parts of the railways.

North Korea has and nothing else completed 2.2 kilometers of its parted 15.3 km on the Kyongui Line, while the southerly has completed most of the 12-km section.

onward the Tonghae Line, the southern has only laid 100 meter of tracks and the North has and nothing else completed 400 meters.

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