Business Journal
April 20, 2021
With relations between Japan and South Korea said to be at their worst since the end of the war, a plan for an undersea tunnel between Japan and South Korea has emerged. This is an infrastructure plan to connect Kyushu in Japan and Busan in South Korea through an undersea tunnel, running railways and other infrastructure.
This is an ambitious project spanning over 200km, which was mentioned by Kim Jong-in, emergency response committee chairman of the People's Power Party, South Korea's largest opposition party. In the mayoral elections in Seoul and Busan held on April 7, candidates from the People's Power Party defeated their ruling party counterparts. Kim, who served as the party's leader, has stepped down, but will the Japan-Korea tunnel plan move forward?
We spoke to Hirofumi Sato, chairman of the International Highway Foundation, a general incorporated foundation that is promoting the project in Japan.
--Please tell us about the historical background of the Japan-Korea tunnel plan.
Hirofumi Sato (hereafter Sato): In the 1930s, Japan's Ministry of Railways planned the "Korea Strait Tunnel," which would have run from Kyushu through Iki and Tsushima to Busan on the Korean Peninsula, but the plan was later halted due to war and other reasons. After the war, the super general contractor Obayashi Corporation proposed the project in 1980.
An epoch-making event for our Foundation was when Reverend Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church proposed the concept of an international highway and the construction of a tunnel between Japan and Korea at the 10th International Conference on the Unity of Science held in Seoul, South Korea in 1981. This was a groundbreaking proposal that not only connected Japan and Korea with a tunnel, but also linked the world with a highway.
In response to this, the International Highway Construction Corporation was established in 1982, the Japan-Korea Tunnel Study Group was launched in 1983, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Japan-Korea Tunnel Karatsu Incline Shaft was held in 1986. In addition, natural surveys were conducted, and after considering underground routes, land was purchased in Karatsu, Iki, and Tsushima. Currently, work on the Karatsu incline shaft has stopped, but from now on, the main focus will be on the Tsushima incline shaft, for which a groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2014.
The construction of the Japan-Korea Tunnel will cost approximately 10 trillion yen, so it is necessary to proceed with it with the support of the people of both Japan and Korea. This foundation was established in 2009 with the aim of raising public opinion. In addition, in 2018, in conjunction with this movement, "Prefectural Councils for Promoting the Japan-Korea Tunnel" were formed in all 47 prefectures, and efforts are being made to gain public understanding.
--What is the significance of building a Japan-Korea tunnel, which will cost a huge amount of money?
Sato: There are currently many problems between Japan and South Korea, but I believe that by working together toward the big goal of building a tunnel connecting the two countries, we can communicate with each other and resolve historical issues. Rather than taking the stance of doing nothing because Japan-South Korea relations are bad now, we should be discussing the Japan-South Korea tunnel concept behind the scenes, as a basis for improving relations, especially now that the relationship is bad.
A public opinion poll conducted in South Korea two years ago showed that around 60% of respondents thought the tunnel was necessary, indicating a growing public outlook. I understand that there are opinions in Japan that ask, "Why do we need a tunnel that connects to South Korea?" and "Won't South Korea attack us?" However, I believe that the Japan-Korea Tunnel is an absolutely necessary international public works project.
Is it technically difficult?
Sato: Basically, I think the technology used to excavate the Seikan Tunnel is sufficient to handle the situation. The only problem we know of at present is the condition of the thick unconsolidated layer between Tsushima and South Korea (Tsushima West Channel). We must carefully assess the condition of the unconsolidated layer and the geological characteristics before considering a construction method. Construction methods must also be carefully considered for other sections. If these are carried out thoroughly, I don't think it will be difficult.
--What do you think about the current conflict between Japan and South Korea?
Sato: We should learn something from the Korean envoys of the Edo period. At that time, envoys visited Japan 12 times, which became an opportunity for Japan and Korea to deepen their ties. I see the Japan-Korea Tunnel as being like the modern-day Korean envoys. For that reason, I think the project to build the Japan-Korea Tunnel needs to continue.
In Kan Kikuchi's novel "Beyond Gratitude and Enmity," he depicts enemies thawing their bitterness as they work together to dig a tunnel. The Ao no Domon in Oita Prefecture, which served as the model for the novel, took 30 years to open, but I believe that if Japan and South Korea join forces and continue to dig tunnels like this, it will help to melt the bitter feelings between our two countries.
For the full article, see the linked page
