Military Road

[Anchor Lead]

South and North Korea have connected a tactical road in the DMZ area where the excavation of war remains is underway. It's the first connection of a military road between the two Koreas since the signing of the Korean War Armistice in 1953.

[Pkg]

South Korean troops build a tactical road on the southern side of the military demarcation line. The South and North Korean troops working along each side of the line exchange small talk and even shake hands.

[Soundbite] Jeon Yu-kwang(S. Korean serviceman) : "Some areas were especially difficult to work in because of rocks and mountainous topography."

The soldiers discuss the construction and even complain about difficulties. It took about a month to build the tactical road in the DMZ area between the two Koreas. So far, the two Koreas had only connected motorways on the Gyeongui and Donghae lines. It's the first tactical road to be connected by the South and the North for military purposes since the signing of the Korean War Armistice 65 years ago. The road stretching across a joint war remains excavation area measures 12 meters wide and three kilometers long. The South Korean military said the connection of the tactical road in what used to be one of the bloodiest battle zones during the Korean War has a historic meaning in that it will help heal the wounds of war.

[Soundbite] Seo Ju-seok(Vice Minister of National Defense) : "I believe that by building this road, we will build peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Although the road was connected to facilitate the joint excavation of soldiers' remains, in the future it is expected to become one of the major roads crossing the very heart of the Korean Peninsula. After electricity and telecommunication cables are installed and reinforcing and retaining walls are erected in the area, an inter-Korean office will be opened here next April.