A recent thesis out of North Korea’s Academy of Social Sciences reveals that the country is giving
positive consideration to inter-Korean economic cooperation in the Tumen River region.
The main projects for consideration include pipeline construction to transport crude
oil and natural gas from eastern Siberia and restoring the Trans-Korean Main Line for its integration into the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The piece titled, “The
Korean Peninsula and Development of Economic Cooperation in Northeast Asia,” was written by Choi Shin Ho of the Academy of Social Sciences
in North Korea and first published on November 15th, 2014; the work was made public on January 13th.
“Through the easing of strained relations
on the Korean Peninsula, North and South Korea can strengthen their roles in
fostering economic collaboration in Northeast Asia,” the thesis reads, going on to note the foothold for this cooperative development to be the Tumen
River area.
It goes on of the importance of the area, “From the 1990s until present day, the
sections emerging as the main objective for multilateral economic cooperation
in Northeast Asia are the Tumen River region and the greater Tumen River area.”
Choi emphasizes the transportation of crude oil and natural gas as well as the promotion of a overland railway link as the target projects in his thesis, but points out that any hope for these projects to come to fruition is contingent on improved inter-Korean relations.
“In order for the Korean Peninsula to play
a larger role and properly contribute to economic cooperation and development
in Northeast Asia, more than anything, action must be taken to mitigate
the political and military circumstances causing tension in the region,” he notes in the report.
