the railway, which connects seoul and pyongyang, was called the gyeongui line before korea was divided in the 1940s. currently the south uses the original name, but the north refers to the route as the p'yŏngbu line. today, the railway is mainly used to carry materials to the industrial complexes at kaesong. south korea workers also use it to commute there. when it was reopened in the early 2000s, this was seen as a sign that the relations between both countries were improving. however in november 2008 north korean authorities closed the railway because of growing tensions with the south. when former south-korean president kim dae-jung had died, a delegation from north korea also attended his funeral. on that occasion, talks were held with south korean officials. in september 2009, the kaesong rail and road crossings were reopened.