After the UN Security Council approved a limited sanctions waiver for the two Koreas' joint railway inspections,... Washington got on board with an exemption of its own... on unilateral sanctions against Pyeongyang.<br />With the waivers in place,... the on-site survey for the railyway project could kick off... as early as this week.<br />Oh Jung-hee explains further. <br />The two Koreas' railway connection plan -- which has been completely suspended since August -- looks to gain speed... with a couple of exemptions made to the international sanctions over the weekend.<br />According to several government sources on Sunday,... the U.S. decided to allow an exemption to its unilateral sanctions against North Korea for the inter-Korean rail inspections... after a bilateral discussion with Seoul.<br />This comes after the UN Security Council approved a limited sanctions waiver on its North Korea sanctions last Friday.<br />With a breakthrough to the months-long deadlock,... the two Koreas are currently discussing the schedule for a joint rail survey in North Korea... and Seoul expects it to kick-start this week.<br /><br />"We are currently discussing the matter with the North. We are getting ready so that the joint inspections can begin this week."<br /><br />For the inspections, a South Korean train and research team will be moving up North.<br />They will go test the western Gyeongui Line first... and then the eastern Donghae Line.<br />The overall process is expected to take about 20 days. <br />As the railway project has been much delayed than initially planned, Seoul says it will work to ensure speedy progress.<br />And it's widely seen that Seoul and Pyeongyang will be able to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for linking and modernizing their rail and road networks within this year AS PLANNED once the joint inspections are over -- possibly in mid-December.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
