Restored

After World War II, Korea was divided into two nations, north and south. The Korean War began after forces from the north invaded the south in 1950, after rival factions could not agree on a system of governance. Train service crossing the border ended in 1951 and did not resume after the 1953 ceasefire. Since then, South Korea has flourished, now the 11th largest economy in the world, while isolated North Korea endures poverty and rigid dictatorship. So the first train crossing from the south to the north, carrying raw materials to the Kaesong Industrial Zone, is small step, according to the Economist, "mainly symbolic, signalling the progress made by South Korea in its efforts to coax the North out of its economic isolation and prepare the groundwork for eventual reunification." The disparity between the two nations is immense, with the north's income estimated to be about 3 percent of that of South Korea. Small, gradual steps could eventually allow the two neighbors to form a sustained and orderly partnership. – YaleGlobal