Two Koreas to phase in civilian access to Hangang River estuary on trial basis starting April 1

  • 5 years ago
한강하구 '해도' 제작 완료.. 4월부터 민간선박 자유항행 시범 허용

South Korea has finished drawing up a nautical chart of the Hangang River estuary.
Officials from Seoul and Pyeongyang met earlier today at the border village of Panmunjeom to share the final version of the map.
Kan Hyeong-woo sheds light on how this will help in the joint-use of the waterway.
The two Koreas will soon be able to navigate their way along the Hangang River estuary,... sharing the waterway that has been practically off-limits for the past 65 years.
South and North Korea have agreed to phase in civilian access to the Hangang River estuary, near their sea border,... on a trial basis,... starting April 1st.
On Wednesday, officials from the two sides met at the border village of Panmunjeom to discuss the map of the area's hydrographical features,... after South Korea drew up a nautical chart of the estuary.
The completed version of the map is expected to serve as the very basic information needed for ships from both Koreas to navigate the estuary.
But according to South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries,… the nautical chart should be constantly updated through continuous research for civilian vessels to use the area safely.
The sea map is based on a survey of the mouth of the Hangang River the two Koreas conducted together late last year. That survey was conducted by 10 officials from each side,... and was part of the inter-Korean military agreement signed in September to eventually allow private ships access to the waterway.
The 1953 armistice agreement between the two Koreas technically allows free passage for private vessels due to the absence of a military demarcation line in the estuary,... but the possibility of accidental clashes has limited civilian access to the 70-kilometer long stretch of water.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News

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