North Korea has notified South Korea that on Saturday it will check its railroad tracks in the northern section of the demilitarized zone to prepare for test runs of cross-border railways scheduled for May 17th.

The Defense Ministry in Seoul said Friday that North Korea sent a telegram the same evening, declaring that it will check the northern section of the Gyeongeui line, which runs through the demilitarized zone from Sinuiju to Seoul. The North said it planned to conduct two hours of tests Saturday morning.

The telegram was received several hours after Seoul accepted Pyongyang's proposal to hold general-level talks next week to discuss military safety guarantees for the May 17th trial runs.

The North's telegram said 12 technicians and a locomotive would be used for Saturday's tests.

The two Koreas had previously agreed to inter-Korean railway tests, but none were carried out due to opposition from North Korean military authorities, who apparently feared exposure of military installations along the railway corridor.