DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Korean athletes won big applause at the Sydney Olympics when North and South Korea marched together at the opening ceremonies. Now, there's another tangible sign of improving relations between the once-bitter enemies. The story now from CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae.</s>SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the push of a button, fireworks and balloons painted the skies over Imjingak Bridge, one of the main entrances into the North, as construction began in the South of a railway and highway link between the two Koreas. A steam locomotive carrying the banner, "Run iron horse and carry the hope of our people," ran about 100 meters and stopped just short of the bridge. At the ceremony marking the start of construction, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung said that the two Koreas were beginning the work of merging the divided country into one. When completed, the 318-kilometer, or 198-mile, rail line will link Seoul to the North's Shinuiju City, bordering China. Seoul officials hope it will eventually be linked to the trans-Siberian railway. A six-lane highway will be built alongside the train tracks. North Korean officials were not present at Monday's ceremonies, but officials say the North will soon start construction to link its side. "I'm so happy," says Lee Duk-Man (ph), who saw her eldest son for the first time in 50 years at the divided family reunion in August. Lee says she can't wait for the train to bring him to her one more time. But before that can happen, many problems remain. Foremost is the clearing of about a million mines in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, where the tracks must run. (on camera): Today's ceremony is mostly symbolic, and most would find it almost impossible to predict when trains could go beyond this point and travel freely between South and North Korea. But as one observer pointed out, "At least it's a beginning." Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Imjingak, South Korea.
South Korea Begins Construction of Cross-Border Railway