ⓒYONHAP News

South and North Korea held high-level talks on Monday, where they agreed to launch projects to connect their roads and railways as early as late November.

In a joint statement following the talks at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjeom, the two sides said they will hold a groundbreaking ceremony sometime between late November and early December as a first step towards re-linking their severed railways.

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and the leader of the North Korean delegation, Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country agreed that before launching the project, the two sides will begin a joint field study of the railway lines in early November.

They also agreed that general-level military talks will be held as early as possible to discuss the implementation of a military agreement during last month's Pyongyang summit, which includes establishing a joint military committee.

While agreeing to participate in future international sporting events as a unified team, Seoul and Pyongyang will hold talks later this month to discuss co-hosting the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.

As for reunions of war-separated families, the two Koreas will hold a Red Cross meeting in November to discuss details of renovating the permanent facility for the reunion events in North Korea's Mount Geumgang.

But all these plans may be hindered by international sanctions in place against North Korea.

South Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations Cho Tae-yul told a parliamentary audit on Tuesday that if inter-Korean projects to reconnect roads and railways begin in earnest, they could be in violation of UN sanctions against North Korea.

He said that the government is closely working with its allies and the UN Security Council's sanctions committee on North Korea to make sure that inter-Korean cooperation projects will be carried out smoothly and well within the contours of international sanctions.

The ambassador also said that the UN is likely to adopt a fresh resolution condemning human rights conditions in North Korea. He said that the UN resolution has been adopted for years and that Seoul is an active participant in the process of drafting the next one.