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Koreas begin work on rail, road links

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE Sept. 18. South Korea and its estranged northern neighbour today held synchronised ceremonies on either side of the demilitarised zone, which separates the two countries, to mark the beginning of work to re-establish a rail-and-road link between them.

The symbolism of the event was heightened by the outcome of the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi's meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, in Pyongyang yesterday.

Both leaders had underscored the importance of inter-Korean rapprochement among other themes. The South Korean President, Kim Dae-jung, today telephoned Mr. Koizumi as part of the ongoing post-summit diplomacy in the region. The ceremonies, more especially the one on the South Korean side, symbolised the new upbeat mood in North East Asia at this moment. The accord is one of several tension-defusing steps that the two Koreas have agreed upon.

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