Mr. Jim Rogers
Jim Rogers, a global American investor who participated in a meeting held in Seoul, South Korea, on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Japan-South Korea relations, said that if the North Korean nuclear issue is resolved and the Japan-South Korea Tunnel is constructed, he will He appealed for the promotion of the Japan-Korea tunnel concept, stating that the economic benefits would be immeasurable.
In an interview with the Washington Times, Mr. Rogers acknowledged that there are significant physical and political obstacles to building a tunnel, but said that if the Japan-Korea tunnel were built, it would open a road for overland transportation from Japan to Europe. ``I want you to imagine a railway and road that connects North Korea, through Russia, to Paris and Rome,'' he said optimistically about the concept.
In a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, US President Trump emphasized that North Korea has the potential for "excellent" economic development if it abandons its nuclear weapons.
Like Trump, he pointed to the enormous economic potential of the Korean peninsula once it is denuclearized and "the 38th parallel problem goes away." Currently, it takes about 50 days to travel by sea from Japan to Europe, but ``if we put the supplies on a train in Japan, they can be delivered to Berlin in about three weeks,'' which would significantly shorten the transportation time.
He also pointed out that ``Everyone wants to eliminate the 38th parallel. China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, it's the same everywhere,'' and added that as a result of the inter-Korean reconciliation that began last year, ``North Korea and South Korea (for more than 50 years) "We have begun removing landmines and observation posts that have been placed in the DMZ over the years," he said, stressing that there are hopeful signs.
The United States is not the only country paying attention to the economic potential of the Korean Peninsula and the effects of the Japan-South Korea tunnel.
Mr. Rogers revealed that Russia is paying attention to the Japan-Korea tunnel, saying, ``A major Russian transportation company is trying to sell this concept in Japan.'' He said Putin has recently considered "rebuilding the Trans-Siberian Railway" and linking it to the North Korean border.
A plan to transport Russian natural gas to East Asia via a pipeline through North Korea is also being discussed, diplomatic sources told The Washington Times.
"Russia, South Korea and Japan will all benefit," Rogers said of the estimated $100 billion construction cost. "These three countries also have the capital. They can finance large infrastructure projects like this. '', he expressed his expectations for Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
The Japan-Korea tunnel will also be useful in countering China's One Belt, One Road economic zone initiative.
"Not only will it compete with One Belt, One Road, but it will also be a competitor. By competing, we will also bring the world together," Rogers said. (Washington Times Special Agreement)
This article is a Japanese translation of the Washington Times article dated May 21, 2019.Tunnel vision
: Financial guru bullish on massive project stifled by North Korea's nuclear crisis
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