[imText1]The second Inter-Korea Summit has been postponed due to North Korea’s flood damages. However, reports indicate that the “Pyongyang-Kaesung” highway which was to be used by President Roh Moo Hyun on his visit to Pyongyang has also been partly swept away.
North Korea’s vice-Minister of Land Environment Protection, Park Jung Soon revealed on 20th on Chosun (North Korea) Central Broadcast “Pyongyang-Hyangsan sightseeing road, Pyongyang-Wonsan sightseeing road and Pyongyang-Kaesung highway have been ruined by the water and the roadbeds destroyed to the point that it is currently difficult for cars to travel on these areas.”
This is the first time that North Korea revealed that the Pyongyang-Kaesung highway was damaged. At the Summit preliminary meeting held at Kaesung on the 14th, North Korean officials said, “We came via the roads from Pyongyang (Pyongyang-Kaesong highway). It was not under water and there were no difficulties in travel.”
Even on the 18th, North Korea did not mention that the Pyongyang-Kaesung highway had been affected by the flood while requesting that the Summit be postponed.
However, as South Korean relief organizations met with North Korean affiliates on the 13th, news confirmed that part of the highway had been damaged. At the time, North Korean officials informed that part of the highway had been damaged and as a result, a detour had been made to Kaesong, taking double the travel time to 6 hours.
On the broadcast, vice-Minister Park Jung Soon said, “Officials have gone to Pyongyang-Wonsan sightseeing road and Pyongyang-Kaesung highway to resolve the problem. Troops have been mobilized and restoration procedures are well under way.”
Consequently, there are rising doubts as to whether the restoration measures can be completed by the Summit’s postponed date of October 2~4nd.
Information analyst of the Ministry of Unification, Suh Seong Woo said, “It is easier to restore the Pyongyang-Kaesung highway as it was constructed with concrete and not asphalt. As long as the North mobilizes manpower, the damaged areas should be up and running for travel by the beginning of the Summit.”
One defector who was born in Pyongyang said, “It shouldn’t be too difficult to restore the roads before the Summit if the bridges and tunnels have not be ruined and only the roads damaged” and “It doesn’t seem like an impossibility since the whole military has been mobilized and work already begun.”
The severity of the damages has not yet been grasped yet, though there should not been too much difficulty for President Roh to visit the North via road as long as manpower has been mobilized and restorations complete. However, analysts suggest the possibility of the North using the excuse that the visit cannot take place due to the severity of the roads.
