TOKYO — A South Korean train rolled across the heavily militarized frontier into North Korea for the first time in a decade Friday, as Seoul pushed ahead with a plan to reunite the two railway networks despite heavy U.N. sanctions. "Through the railways that will be connected in one, the South and North will prosper together and peace in the Korean Peninsula will become firmer," South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said during a ceremony at Dorasan Station near the border. Over the next 18 days, dozens of officials and engineers from both Koreas will live and work on the six-car train, traveling more than 1,600 miles as they study the North’s rail network and consider what it would take to bring it up to international standards. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The train had to make its way over one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world

Image copyright EPA Image caption South Korean officials say opening the line will improve peace and prosperity on both sides

Image copyright Getty Images

When the leaders of North and South Korea had their historic meeting in April, North Korea's Kim Jong-un asked for help with updating his country's railways, which he said were in an "embarrassing" state.
A South Korean train arrives towards Panmun Station and crosses the DMZ border for the first time since 2008, when a South Korean cargo train operated five times a week.