President Kim Dae-jung Monday emphasized the need for joint inter-Korean efforts to preserve the environment of the demilitarized zone (DMZ), saying the area could one day be turned into a famous tourist spot.

After receiving a briefing from the Environment Ministry, Kim said... ministries should try to have UNESCO designate the Sachon River as a biological protection zone for the preservation of the DMZ's ecosystem.

The Sachon River is a tributary of the Imjin River.

Kim said...the Kyongui Railway will pass through this zone, which has an important ecological value. He continued...once inter-Korean economic cooperation gets under way, the zone could become a world-class ecological tour course.

Work is underway to reconnect the tracks of the Kyongui line, creating a link between the two Koreas. The tracks were severed during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

In addition, he asked that technological and economic development proceed with a full awareness of environmental protection, calling the environment industry a high-value industry of the 21st century that needs sustained development.