The Unification Ministry has confirmed that a team of inspectors that left for North Korea last Saturday morning for a joint inter-Korean inspection of the eastern Donghae rail line is conducting inspections as scheduled.

The inspectors crossed the Military Demarcation Line at 9 a.m. Saturday and began inspecting with their North Korean counterparts the section of the Donghae line linking Namaeri to Anbyon Station. 

The inspection was carried out by bus instead of a train because some parts of the railway were disconnected. 

From Anbyon, the inspectors took the train to reach Hyongheung Station in South Hamgyong Province after inspecting the stations of Wonsan and Gowon. 

Through next Monday, the inspectors will travel all the way to the Tumen River in the country's northeastern tip as part of their inspection of the 800-kilometer Donghae rail line.

The two Koreas earlier inspected the western Gyeongui line in the North. The inspections are to prepare for a project to connect and modernize inter-Korean railways.