Anchor: A South Korea-U.S. working group held its inaugural meeting Tuesday during which Washington revealed it supports preliminary efforts for relinking severed inter-Korean railways. But as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterates inter-Korean relations shouldn't outpace progress in nuclear negotiations, it remains unclear how Seoul and Pyongyang will get around sanctions before reconnecting the railroads.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Seoul's special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs held talks in the U.S. Tuesday, seeking to ensure efforts to improve inter-Korean ties and denuclearize North Korea go side by side.

After the first working group meeting with his counterpart Stephen Biegun, South Korean envoy Lee Do-hoon revealed the issue of relinking severed inter-Korean railways was positively assessed. 

[Sound bite: Lee Do-hoon - Special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs (Korean)]
"I was able to confirm the U.S.' strong support regarding a joint survey related to a South-North rail connection project." 
"Our aim is to hold a groundbreaking ceremony within this year."  

Following the inter-Korean summit in April, the two Koreas in August sought to run a South Korean train along the length of North Korea to the Chinese border to survey rail conditions. But, the effort was thwarted by the South Korea-based UN Command, which did not approve the crossing of the military demarcation line.

During a briefing Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the U.S.' stance. He added that Seoul and Washington will ensure they don’t talk past each other or take an action that the other is unaware of.  

[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo]
"We have made clear to the Republic of Korea that we do want to make sure that peace on the peninsula and the denuclearization of North Korea aren’t lagging behind the increase in the amount of inter-relationship between the two Koreas. We view them as tandem, as moving forward together. We view them as important parallel processes, and that working group is designed to make sure they continue to remain that way.”

The two Koreas want to hold a groundbreaking event within this year but as the U.S. and North Korea fail to make headway in their nuclear negotiations, it remains unclear how the symbolic rail project will proceed without sanctions being eased on the North. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.