On November 9th, under the clear, blue autumn sky of Tsushima, a large excavator roared as it began to cut away the slope at the back of the tunnel entrance. This marked the start of actual construction of the Tsushima Arane Inclined Shaft.
The mine entrance was installed six years ago, in July 2014. The first inclined shaft excavation preparatory work was carried out in October last year, when a large excavator was used to excavate the rear of the mine entrance and the appearance of bedrock (confirmation of the rock line) was confirmed. After that, a level survey was carried out in July this year to determine the exact height of the current mine entrance.
This construction work is an extension of last year's first construction work (preparatory work for the second inclined shaft excavation), and a large excavator was used to push the excavation area further back to confirm the characteristics of the bedrock and the position where the entire lower part of the tunnel cross section rests on the bedrock.
Going forward, the technical committee will continue to consider how to construct the lighting construction section (the section that will actually be carried out as the tunnel entrance construction) and how to carry out the tunnel entrance installation (initial work as part of the tunnel excavation work). The next construction work is scheduled for next year.
Coincidentally, four days earlier, on the 5th, 30 executives from the Association of Korean Residents in Japan, the United for Peace and Unification, visited the site and prayed for the early completion of the Japan-Korea Tunnel. Secretary-General Kim Won-sik, who led the delegation, said, "We look forward to the day when the friendship between Japan and Korea will become a deep bond and we can return to Seoul through this tunnel."
"I would like to make a tangible or intangible contribution to the completion of the tunnel," he said passionately. Before the construction site, the group visited the Korean Martyrs Memorial at the northern tip of Tsushima to remember the hardships of their ancestors, and was moved to tears as they looked out at Busan, their hometown 50km away.
[Photo ①] Construction work has begun to extend the tunnel by 6 meters. Excavated soil and sand are now piled high in front of the tunnel entrance.
[Photo ②] Thirty executives from the United Nations for Peace and Unification inspected the tunnel entrance and prayed for the early completion of the Japan-Korea Tunnel.
