As trains cross the DMZ between the Koreas, hopes rise for an energy supergrid

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is pushing an ambitious project to connect the Korean peninsula to Eurasia via transport and energy links

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A South Korean army soldier stands next to a train before it crosses the border into North Korea. Photo: AP

Published: 7:00am, 23 Dec 2018Updated: 9:23pm, 23 Dec 2018

The trains that have been crossing the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, the latest sign of rapprochement between the divided neighbours, are carrying more than just hopes for peace. Riding the track from Seoul to Pyongyang is an ambitious plan to connect the Korean peninsula to Eurasia by tying together transport and energy networks across the region.

“The trans-Eurasian railway network will transform South Korea practically from a DMZ-cut island to a Eurasian port nation, with the very best access to the Pacific for all nations in Eurasia,” said Chang Kyung-sup, an economics professor at Seoul National University.

“The economic opportunities and benefits accruing to such strategic position will be enormous.”

Officials from both sides met last week to discuss plans for a joint ceremony to begin work on the inter-Korean railway, setting December 26 as the tentative date. There is speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has yet to realise his promise to visit Seoul, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in could both be in attendance.

The two Koreas, however, will need approval from Washington and the UN to realise the project. It likely violates sanctions against North Korea, which has made hardly any progress on denuclearisation.