Major railway sections and roads in North Korea have apparently deteriorated significantly enough to cause impediments to their operations. 

The South Korean government announced on Friday the results of its joint surveys with the North last year. 

Around 400 kilometers of railways on the western Gyeongui Line that links Gaeseong to Sinuiju and 770 kilometers of the eastern Donghae Line between Mount Geumgang and the Tumen River were surveyed for 18 days from November 30th.

According to inspections, trains on the Gyeongui Line passed old bridges that were 70 to 110 years old while bridges used on the Donghae Line were 60 to 100 years old. The bridges and tunnels on both lines revealed pressing safety issues that can affect train operations. 

Trains used during the survey were run at an average speed of 30 kilometers to 50 kilometers per hour except on the Rajin-Tumen River section, which was renovated under a joint project between the North and Russia in 2013. 

The speed of the locomotives was further reduced to ten to 20 kilometers per hour on the Gyeongui Line section between Gaeseong and Sariwon. 

Sections of a highway spanning 161 kilometers between Gaeseong and Pyongyang, which was surveyed for 20 days from August 13th, also exposed significant aging and deterioration, raising concerns over possible accidents due to faulty construction.