By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea has twice rebuffed South Korea's gestures to mend the worsening inter-Korean ties through economic and civic cooperation this week.



Pyongyang declined to endorse Seoul, Thursday, in the latter's bid to join the Organization for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD), which is seen as essential to implement President Park Geun-hye's Eurasia initiative.



North Korea's move came after the two Koreas failed to reach a deal Tuesday to jointly celebrate the historic inter-Korean summit on June 15, 2000 on a civic level.



Launched in 1956, the OSJD's 28 members ― including North Korea, China, Mongolia, Russia and Poland ― have focused on creating a better commercial railway transport environment, such as freight and passenger traffic, in the Eurasian region through unified regulations.



Seoul's failure to win the OSJD membership, which requires a unanimous vote from the existing member states, is expected to hamper President Park's Eurasia initiative, according to an expert.



"Pyongyang made clear it will not cooperate with Seoul for the time being on economic cooperation," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.



The goal of the initiative is to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula through a "Silkroad Express," a railroad network from South Korea's port city of Busan to Europe via Pyongyang, Beijing and Siberia. The Park government has proposed that such a network would help establish an integrated system of transport, energy and trade across the continent.



"An OSJD membership is a prerequisite to fulfill Park's goal and the Kim Jong-un regime won't let it happen," Yang said.



North Korea was the only OSJD member-nation that rejected South Korea's proposal to join the group during the 43rd OSJD Ministers Conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.



The annual conference is the highest-level meeting among the OSJD member countries. In his speech, Seoul's Vice Transportation Minister Yeo Hyung-koo said that the country's economy, along with its railway technology, could contribute to enhancing an inter-Korean railroad network if it is accepted as a member.



North Korea's Railways Minister Jon Kil-su, however, protested that it is "a matter of sovereignty" when Seoul's proposal was brought forward as an agenda item.



The civilian representatives from the two Koreas once sought to improve relations between their governments by jointly marking the 15th anniversary of the inter-Korean summit between then-President Kim Dae-jung and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.



Back then, the two leaders, both now deceased, unveiled the June 15, 2000 Declaration. The landmark agreement outlined a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and has served as a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliatory efforts since then.



According to Seoul's preparatory group for the joint celebration Tuesday, its Pyongyang counterpart said it will separately organize events to commemorate the June 200 summit.



It also said North Korea accused the South Korean government of exercising influence in their effort to run a joint festival.



The inter-Korean commemoration for the Seoul-Pyongyang summit was last held in 2008 on Mount Geumgang, a scenic resort in North Korea.



