The United Nations Security Council has granted an exemption from sanctions imposed on North Korea for work to start on an inter-Korean railway survey, South Korean authorities say.
The decision would allow a new stage in inter-Korean cooperation, the South Korean president's office said in a statement on Saturday.
It added that the exemption meant that the project - aimed at modernising and eventually connecting the train services of the two countries - has been recognised and supported by the United States and the international community.
The UNSC on Friday decided unanimously to grant an exemption and allow the delivery of fuel and other materials needed for the project to North Korea, which would otherwise be banned under the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its weapons program, a diplomatic source told local news agency Yonhap.
Seoul had sought a temporary exemption to be able to carry out field studies in the North as part of reconnecting the railways of the two countries, a project approved in the inter-Korean summit held in September.
The start of work on the project has been delayed for months after the UN Command, led by the US, blocked access to materials citing procedural problems.
The blockade had been interpreted by some analysts as a sign of discontent by Washington due to a possible violation of the sanctions on Pyongyang and the acceleration of inter-Korean cooperation at a time when their own negotiations over the denuclearisation of North Korea seem to have stalled.
Pyongyang and Seoul expect to hold a ceremony to inaugurate the project before the end of the year.
Australian Associated Press
