On 8 December 2021, a working meeting of the delegations of the OSJD Committee and the Republic of Korea took place in the OSJD Committee premises in Warsaw. The delegations were headed, respectively, by Mr. Mirosław Antonowicz, Chairman of OSJD Committee, and Mr. Noh Hyeong Ouk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea. The delegation of the Republic of Korea was also composed by H.E. Mira Sun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Poland, Mr. Kim Yong-seok, Deputy Minister for Aviation, Mr. Kwon Hyuk-jin, Advisor to the Minister for Infrastructural Issues, Mr. Choi Jeong-Min, Director of the Overseas Construction Support Department, Mr. Pak Sun-ho, Chairman of the International Construction Association of Korean Association (ICAK), Deputy Director for Overseas Construction Support Division Kwak In Yong and other officials.

The parties discussed the issues of comprehensive cooperation development within the framework of OSJD. Some of the main items on the agenda were: the accession of the Republic of Korea to the Agreement on International Goods Carriage by Rail (SMGS), infrastructure innovations on the Korean Railways and holding of the regular session of the Ministerial Conference in the Republic of Korea in 2023.

Welcoming the delegation of the Republic of Korea, Chairman of the OSJD Committee Mr. Mirosław Antonowicz noted the active participation of South Korean specialists in the OSJD works and their contribution to the development of railway transportation in the region, as well as the recognisable trend of introducing new technologies into railway transport and the economy of the Republic of Korea. The warm words of gratitude from the OSJD Committee side were expressed to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, who confirmed the invitation of the Republic of Korea to host the session LI of the OSJD Ministerial Conference in Seoul in 2023. Mr. Mirosław Antonowicz also informed the delegation of the Republic of Korea about the activities of all OSJD working bodies and thanked for the active participation and contribution of the representatives of the Republic of Korea, including the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Poland, Ms. Mira Sun, in the development of mutual cooperation within the Organisation.

Deputy Chairman of the OSJD Committee Mikhail Vsevolozhskiy noted the responsible approach with which the South Korean side addresses the organisation of such high-ranking events, in particular the 10th OSJD International Freight Conference (27-29 May 2015) and CGD meeting XXXIV (8-12 April 2019), which were held at the highest level in Seoul. In addition, Mikhail Vsevolozhskiy informed the guests about the activities of the Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy and the Commission on Transport Law, noting that the possible accession of the Republic of Korea to the Agreement on the International Goods Carriage by Rail (SMGS) is very important, since the volume of freight traffic, especially container, increases significantly every year.

Specialist of the OSJD Commission on Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Angelina Shurganova informed about the work carried out within the framework of the Commission and expressed her gratitude for the interest and active participation of the specialists of the Korean Railroad Corporation (Korail) and the Korean Research Institute of Railways in the work of the Commission for Infrastructure and Rolling Stock.

The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea noted that the country’s accession to the OSJD in 2018 was an important milestone both in the history of the railways of the Republic of Korea and the country as a whole, contributing to further development of cooperation within the Organisation.

He also confirmed his readiness to host the next session of the Ministerial Conference in 2023 as the “pandemic tension” decreases, as well as his intention to help speed up the domestic procedure for joining the Agreement on the International Goods Carriage by Rail.

In conclusion, the parties noted the importance of further expanding cooperation between all the OSJD member countries and railways in order to intensify the implementation of the plans and take effective measures for the development of international railway transport in the OSJD space in the difficult conditions of the ongoing pandemic and taking into account the constantly changing situation.