SEOUL, May 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Unification Ministry said Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had called off the scheduled cross-border railway test runs.

    "The North sent a telegram on Wednesday morning saying it is calling off the test runs on the eastern and western railways," an official of the Unification Ministry said on condition of anonymity.

    The DPRK's decision was made just one day before South Korea and the DPRK hold a planned ceremony for test runs of the cross-border railways.

    The test runs draw attention as it would become the first time for South Korea and the DPRK to resume the railway transportation since the cross-border railways were cut off in the early 1950s.

    Officials of the two sides earlier this month agreed to conduct on Thursday test runs of two cross-border railways, the western railroad linking Seoul to DPRK's northwestern border city of Sinuiju and the eastern railroad linking South Korea's Jejin Station in Gangwon Province to the DPRK's scenic resort at Mount Geumgang.

    Both railways were completed construction of reconnection late last year. Enditem