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A year ago Korean presidential hopeful Goh Kun campaigned for a tunnel linking Korea to Japan and now this year Japanese politicians are campaigning for it as well:
Japan and South Korea, long at odds over their wartime history, should be linked by a railway tunnel under the sea symbolising peaceful ties, a group of Japanese lawmakers was reported as saying on Friday.
The cross-party group of parliamentarians is proposing a 128 km (80 miles) tunnel that would be part of a rail link between Karatsu on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu and Pusan in South Korea via two Japanese islands, Kyodo news agency said.
The tunnel — which would be more than twice as long as the Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France — could one day allow passengers to travel by rail from Tokyo to London, Kyodo quoted lawmakers as saying. [Reuters]
I have to agree with R. Elgin that this project would be much more beneficial to Korea than building a canal across the country, plus Korea would have Japan to help jointly finance the project.
However, I have to wonder if such a project is even feasible? The Korea Strait is roughly about 200 kilometers wide between Japan from South Korea which means this tunnel would be a much longer than the tunnel under the English Channel which is 34 kilometers long. Also the waters of the Korea Strait are twice as deep as the waters that separate France and England thus making the construction of the Korea Strait tunnel that much more difficult. Plus is building a tunnel across a major fault line in a earthquake prone area really a great idea?
If such a project is feasible, the construction of such a tunnel should rank as one of the great engineering achievements in world history. Additionally it would be something for the governments of Korea and Japan to work jointly on to help improve relations.
I do have to wonder how long before someone in Korea calls for a tunnel to Dokdo though?
7:59 am on February 18th, 2008 1
Considering the complaints made by French engineers connected to the KTX project, I'm not sure South Korean engineers are up to this task. I'm certain Japanese engineers feel broken-hearted about the dearth of white elephant projects in Japan, and both countries could hire the unemployed. But, I doubt even this project will dent youth unemployment, especially in the near run.
Also, I don't like this idea strategically. the peninsula is close enough to the mainland and Japan already.
11:01 am on February 18th, 2008 2
Didn't North Korea build its own "Peace Tunnels" into South Korea back in the 1970s?
3:06 pm on February 18th, 2008 3
I saw a special on National Georgraphic that speculated on building a tunnel across the Atlantic. The tunnel was not dug into the ground but suspended in the water at a depth of about 200 feet. Lots of technical challenges to be sure-but little digging involved-just suspending tunnel.
This will never happen though-politically its not feasible for either country-plus it seems to me JAL, Asiana, ANA, and KAL would do their damndest to kill it.
6:22 pm on February 18th, 2008 4
What about the plans for Korea to build a bridge to the moon or tunnel to the US – oh, they already did that one. Personally, I have no doubt Korea could tunnel to Japan even if they started digging today. What I can't imagine is if they were to add a roadway and let cab drivers compete with the KTX.
6:27 pm on February 18th, 2008 5
I don't think SK could ever build the tunnel fast enough to keep the water from caving in on them. Their engineers have been working on this for quite some time and have found the only way it can be done is when the water freezes. But, when the water melts, it always fills the tunnel back in. No doubt they'll eventually figure it out. (They first have to make the leap from building their national monuments out of wood – the three little pigs story has a lot of meaning)
11:54 am on February 19th, 2008 6
Hmmm… I am interested in how this will end up and was hoping to read some decent feedbacks here… but I see nothing but lame/sarcastic remarks. I wonder why GI Korea thinks the build will benefit Korea more, considering that vast majority of Koreans oppose this idea under the judgement that the project will benefit Japan the most. One thing for sure, Japan exports a lot more products to Korea than the other way around. Japan maybe abe to benefit from efficient transportion (cost effective) of goods to Korea and othe parts of Asia, or so some people suggest. I do not knw the details of whyJapanese suddenly wants this… but yes the remarks here are just plain sorry.
12:29 pm on February 19th, 2008 7
Dada: And, you're just a gold star reporter, right? Go find your own joy!
Ironically, this white elephant, if it ever goes anywhere, would probably suck in more migrant workers, because I doubt either Japan or ROK has the blue-collar resources for the it. And, DaDa, that's what this about: employment during a recession from a ROK PM promising 747, and a Japanese PM with low ratings and a non-performing economy. It's nothing serious! Thankfully!
12:41 pm on February 19th, 2008 8
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/15/japan…
The MPs will first have to persuade Tokyo and Seoul to fund a joint feasibility study. But the notion of connecting the east Asian rivals with a rail link is not as far-fetched as it would have been just a few years ago.
This project is even more pathetic than I thought. This is a honeymoon fantasy, and I hope more realistic thoughts about alliance and DPRK replace it. It's a nice sign, but a waste of taxpayer dollars. De-regulating the airline industry (http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/02/16/a-peace-tunnel-instead-of-a-grand-canal/#comment-135414) and opening up SMEs make much more economic sense than these tired bureaucratic stunts. from canal to peace tunnel, I hope the old guard in both countries are just clearing out their deadwood and bad ideas before the real work starts on February 25th.
12:37 am on February 20th, 2008 9
I think this tunnel would benefit Korea more because they would probably get all the benefits of such a tunnel without having to pay much for it because the Japanese I would presume would fund the majority of the bill. Plus such a tunnel would probably never be constructed without a Korea-Japan FTA which there has been some discussion about recently.
However, I would not bet any money on seeing this project ever completed.
3:53 am on February 20th, 2008 10
There is probably already a tunnel from a basement coffee shop in Pusan to the alcohol storage area of the Kadina BX.
6:06 am on February 20th, 2008 11
Chickenhead LOL.
However, I think a tunnel to Sasebo would be closer than Kadena.