SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Wednesday said it plans to push for the resumption of a cross-border rail project with North Korea next year while mapping out long-term multinational projects it has proposed as part of efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang.

The announcement was made during a briefing to the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification.

The ministry said it would begin preparatory work on what it called the "four peaceful exchange projects," aimed at encouraging cross-border exchange. The four proposed projects are a health cooperation project, the Wonsan-Kalma peace tourism project, a Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway and the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI).

Among them, the ministry plans to revitalize the GTI, which is a regional economic cooperation framework involving South Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia with a focus on transport, energy and tourism. It also plans to encourage Pyongyang to join the initiative.

As part of efforts to lay the groundwork for inter-Korean exchange, the ministry said it will restart construction on the South Korean section of the Gyeongwon railway line next year, with a goal to complete by 2029.

Construction began in 2015 but has been suspended since 2016 amid worsening inter-Korean ties. When completed, the railway will connect Seoul and Wonsan in the North.

At the briefing, the ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang, but said it would carry out its planned projects in a "more defined and careful" manner, an approach that appears to reflect President Lee Jae Myung's order that the ministry proceed with caution.

It also forecast North Korea will continue to deepen strategic relations with China and Russia to strengthen its bargaining power for any potential negotiations with Washington.

The ministry expected Pyongyang to seek a shift in any future nuclear dialogue, focusing on arms reduction rather than denuclearization.

At the same time, Pyongyang is likely to maintain its cautious, indifferent approach toward Seoul, the ministry said.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr

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