Korea has recently launched a debate on a project to connect the southwestern Honam region and Jeju Island with an undersea tunnel for high-speed train services, signaling that the Korean version of Eurostar is a possibility.
The project entails building three separate lines ― 66-kilometers, from Mokpo to Haenam; 28-kilometers Haenam-Bogil Island; and 73-kilometers, Bogil Island-Chuja Island-Jeju. The last line would be linked by a high-speed train through an undersea tunnel. When connected with other major railway lines across the Honam region and the rest of the country, major inland cities and Jeju will be connected by train for the first time.
The project is expected to serve as a new tool for growth for two of the most underdeveloped parts of the nation located in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. The ``underwater train'' is to be operated in conjunction with the Seoul-Mokpo express train project currently underway.
The National Assembly held a special forum last week to discuss and publicize the Honam-Jeju Undersea Rail project. Participants were mostly in agreement of its necessity, especially in light of the nation's urgent task to achieve a balanced development nationwide.
