SOUTH and North Korea yesterday opened the first-ever military hot line between the countries since their division at the end of World War II. 

　　The Korean militaries had agreed last week to open the hot line before yesterday noon as part of an agreement to coordinate work on reconnecting rail and road links across their heavily fortified border.

　　But the opening of the hot line was delayed for several hours as the North said there were technical problems.

　　Last week, North and South Korea began work on rebuilding two sets of railroads and roads severed around the time of the 1950-53 Korean War. If plans go smoothly, one of the roads will be reconnected as early as November, while one railway will be finished by year's end.

　　There will eventually be four hot lines -- one for telephone and one for fax on both the east and west coasts of the peninsula along the railway routes.