Trans-Siberian railroad to extend into Korea

Russian Minister for Far East Development Alexander Galushka announced plans to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad into North and South Korea during a Russian-Korean trade meeting in Vladivostok on Thursday.

The expansion program calls for a collaborative railway construction project between Russia, North Korea and South Korea. Russian officials hope the expansion will not only triple the speed at which goods are shipped between Europe and Korea, but also restore peace between North and South Korea, RT.com reports.

"We have agreed to launch trilateral projects between Russia, DPRK and South Korea with a focus on the railroad project," Galushka said, according to RT.com. "It's important to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad to the Korean peninsula. It will service to stabilize and improve the situation on the Korean peninsula as a whole."

Mechel, Russia's largest steelmaking company, has agreed to supply the steel required for the first phase of the expansion. South Korea's Hyundai Construction has been identified as a likely commercial partner in the project.

North Korean officials have been reluctant to participate in any collaborative infrastructure program despite the poor conditions of its rail system. Members of the North Korean government began to express interest in a railway development project last September after Russia re-opened a 33-mile expanse of track to Khasan, the last Russian city before the North Korean border, according to RT.com.