November 28, 2007 (LPAC) -- Developing the cross-Korean transport system will unite the peninsula and create over 4 million new jobs, the South Korean Construction and Transportation Ministry (MOCT) announced Nov. 25, the Korean Overseas Information Service reported. The MOCT envisions an "X-shaped" railway network, which will unite the entire peninsula, and link it to China and Russia. Overall, the MOCT will be investing over $3 billion equivalent, to double the volume of South Korea's transport by 2019.

The MOCT plan will create two inter-Korean railways, which will cross in an "X" at Seoul. One will go from Pusan on the southeast coast, crossing to Sinuiju on North Korea's west coast, which is on the Chinese border. The second line will go from the southwest South Korean port of Mokpo to Cheongjin in northeast North Korea, on the Russian border.

The overall plan is to make it possible to carry out the agreements reached by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il at their early October summit, for expanding Korean economic cooperation. Air and sea routes facilities will also be developed and integrated into the transport system, and the overall program will help "reduce the socioeconomic costs related to logistics" and create some 4,170,000 new jobs, the MOCT said.