A ceremony is taking place in Mokpo to mark the completion of the Honam high speed rail, an express train connecting Seoul with the southwestern city.

The Korea National Railroad is hosting the ceremony, which is being attended by Acting President Goh Kun and other related officials.

The Honam line will be officially opened on April 1st. However, officials decided to hold the opening ceremony beforehand to avoid overlapping dates with the launching ceremony of the Gyeongbu line, which links Seoul and Busan.

With the opening of the Honam line, it will take around three hours to get to the capital from Mokpo... nearly two hours faster than by the current Saemaeul express train.

Those who wish to ride on the new high-speed train can make advance ticket reservations from Wednesday over the Internet and through ticketing dispensers.