South and North Korea have agreed to conduct joint on-site inspections on railway sections in the North beginning on Friday. 

Seoul’s Unification Ministry said on Thursday that the North had responded through the communication channel at the truce village of Panmunjeom to the South’s proposals regarding the schedules of the joint inspections. 

The ministry said field inspections will be made on the East Sea Line on Friday, to be followed the similar ones on the Gyeongui Line in the west next Tuesday. 

The East Sea Line railway sections to be checked are between Kumgangsan Chongnyon Station near Mount Geumgang and the Military Demarcation Line(MDL), while inspections on the Gyeongui Line will cover Kaesong Station to the MDL. 

The officials from the two Koreas who will lead the inspections along with researchers from the two sides will hold joint meetings immediately after checking the condition of the railway sections. 

The ministry says South Korea will send a 15-member delegation to the North for the inspections.