The line continued to run as an important network for troops and supplies through the Second World War. Cut between Pyongyang and Kaesong with Japan's defeat, the line otherwise continued to run till 1950. The last freight train on the line, driven out of Seoul by Han Jun-ki in 1950, carried hundreds of refugees as it moved south, and away from war. Many of them, clinging desperately to the long line of cars, fell off and died. Han, like many Koreans, believes the reconnection of the line heralds a new era in inter-Korean relations.
Nobody opposes it.
Many hope that the reconnection the railways will signify the beginnings of reunification. The railway could play a role in integrating the two Koreas after unification. However, as Russian support for the inter-Korean railways demonstrates, it is not just the two Koreas that stand to gain from the reconnection of the lines. Ultimately, the assistance and encouragement from other countries may be just the push the North needs. Copyright 2000 Digital Korea Herald.