I'm Kento Bento.
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In 1917, a Japanese Army general
by the name of Kuniaki Koiso
wanted to connect Japan to the rest of Asia.
He suggested the idea of building a grand tunnel
from Japan all the way to Korea.
Certainly a tremendous feat of engineering,
and not just for that point in time.
Over the next hundred years,
through the various incarnations,
and despite the numerous proposals,
the project never moved beyond conception.
Today, as we know, there's still yet to be a tunnel
or bridge connecting the two countries.
But the question is, for how long?
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Now, of the two options, a tunnel or a bridge,
a bridge was never truly considered
as sea traffic in the region was and is extensive.
A fixed link connecting the two nations
would cross that busy Korea Strait
where numerous international shipping lanes
and passenger ferry routes pass through.
Thus, whether it's the Korea-Japan Friendship Tunnel System,
or the Japan-Korea Undersea Tunnel, or JKUT,
an underwater tunnel was simply the better option.
Compared to air travel, having an accessible route by land
is also going to save people a lot of money,
especially when sending goods,
which is why most companies tend to use sea routes.
Though that's still significantly
more expensive than sending by land.
The proposed tunnel would also serve a portion
of the 20,000 people who travel daily
between Korea and Japan.
Ultimately, there would be an increase
in economic activity for both countries,
contributing to the economic development
of the whole of East Asia.
Now when you think of an island country
connecting to a continent, Japan's relation
with the rest of Asia may come to mind.
But for most, it's the UK and Europe.
Just as Japan would need to connect to South Korea,
the UK has already connected to France by way
of the Channel Tunnel, or Chunnel.
At 37.9 kilometers, The Chunnel currently
has the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world.
If we consider the entirety of the tunnel,
then we're looking at an even greater 50.5 kilometer link.
But even that is short of the Seikan Tunnel
connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido,
which at 53.9 kilometers is overall
the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
Now whichever measurement you go by,
neither would even come close to the distance
covered by the Japan-Korea tunnel.
There are three proposed routes,
all starting at Karatsu in the Saga Prefecture in Japan,
connecting to Iki Island,
then onto differing points on Tsushima Island.
From there two routes terminate
at Geoje Island in South Korea,
with a third at Yeongdu, Busan.
Which, despite its length and suspect location,
it passing through a seismic zone,
is perhaps the favored option, as it would be close
to the largest port in South Korea, the Port of Busan,
making this the most efficient and economically sound route.
If completed, the tunnel will have a astonishing length
of 230 kilometers, with just the undersea portion
being approximately 145 kilometers.
This is more than four times the length
of the Chunnel or the Seikan Tunnel.
A high-speed rail along this route
would connect Japan and Korea in just 50 minutes.
If traveling from Tokyo to Seoul,
a distance of 1550 kilometers,
it would take about seven hours.
Now the cost of the Seikan Tunnel was $7 billion,
the cost of the Chunnel $21 billion, but the cost of JKUT?
Anywhere from $111 billion to $157 billion,
and it would take an estimated 15 to 20 years to complete.
In my previous video on future events to happen in Asia,
I had actually predicted this tunnel
to be completed by the year 2040.
If you want to check out that video, the link's down below.
The viability of this project has been questioned
from time to time, but the tunnel is purported
to provide a savings of 30% in costs for transported goods,
as well as making profit off toll charges
paid by Japanese shippers sending cargo to the mainland.
Add to that the 45,000 new jobs that would be created
and the revival of the construction and tourism industries.
Japan and South Korea have tended to favor
large infrastructure projects, so the construction
of this tunnel may seem like an inevitability.
Any engineering challenges can also be met
with existing technologies,
so a hundred years on, why isn't this a reality?
Well, as some of you may know, there's something
far more daunting than just the engineering aspect.
Yes, there's the issue of rail gauges not matching up,
safety concerns like tunnel fires,
the threat of earthquakes, unauthorized immigration,
Japan and South Korea driving
on different sides of the road.
But for all these, while not always perfect,
there are solutions.
Arguably the biggest issue of all
is the historic psychological barrier
between the two countries.
Just about every neighboring country on earth has,
at one point or another, spilt blood over shared soil.
Japan and South Korea are no different.
For over 1,500 years, their relationship
had been defined by cultural exchange,
political contact, trade, and war.
Now, more specifically Japan's invasions
of the peninsula in the 16th century,
as well as the more recent colonization
in the early 20th century, which ended with World War II,
have produced a mistrust
that has been hard to dispel by many Koreans.
In many circles today, the very idea of a Japan-Korea tunnel
has been met with suspicion and contempt.
Some note having a fixed link to the mainland
would help Japan greatly expand its economic
and political influence well into the continent,
while South Korea would have a disproportionate gain.
Conversely though, while the increased rate
of economic growth caused by the tunnel
would be about 5% for Japan,
Korea could see an increase of up to 150%.
So, there are differing angles to this.
As such, the mayor of Busan, Suh Byung-soo
has shown support for the construction of the tunnel,
despite receiving 30,000 angry messages from citizens
calling him a traitor to Korea.
Likewise, some in Japan have had similar reactions.
So, in order for this tunnel to be fully realized,
both sides need to overcome this emotional hurdle.
Now all this may sound sort of familiar,
because this mirrors the story of the UK and France.
Just like for Japan and Korea,
their historical ties are long and complex.
The French and English famously fought a Hundred Years' War,
and are still today often referred to as rivals.
There had long been talks of a cross-Channel tunnel
between the two countries, in fact as early as 1802,
but social and political pressures
had always halted attempts at construction.
Yet, unlike their Asian counterparts,
something changed along the way.
The UK and France were able
to overlook their historical divide,
with an agreement finally being formalized.
And in 1994, the Channel Tunnel opened,
signifying a major change in their relationship.
Today, most agree that this was a positive change
for both countries in many ways,
as well as for the European continent.
The breakdown of that psychological barrier
was key to lifting the island mentality
arguably held by both nations.
Island mentality refers to the idea of isolated communities
to varying degrees perceiving themselves
as different and special from the rest,
with the term not necessarily referring
to a physical or geographical confinement,
like an actual island, but more a cultural
and ideological confinement of a nation's self.
Japan and South Korea may need to lose elements
of this mindset if they are to ever forge a physical link.
And as the Chunnel's been an important asset
to the entire European Union's infrastructure,
a Japan-Korea tunnel may also help establish
some version of the East Asian Community,
a proposed trade bloc for East
and Southeast Asian countries.
It is essential for the project to gain support
from the people of both countries.
And really, despite the unhealed wounds from the past,
Japan and South Korea have been allies
in the face of other hostile nations.
There is no better way to bring people together
than to engage them in a project
requiring all their efforts.
This is a sentiment openly shared
by three former South Korean presidents.
At some point, the two countries
will need to conclude a diplomatic accord
on the best way to proceed with the tunnel.
And it may even take a crisis to move it forward,
such as the case with past infrastructure projects
like the US Transcontinental Railroad
launched during the American Civil War,
the construction of the Panama Canal
amid a revolution in Colombia, and of course
the Channel Tunnel at the height of the Cold War.
Stability may not be conducive to mega-projects.
For the Japan-Korea tunnel, some have said
China's increasing influence in the region
may be that determining factor
for greater cooperation between Japan and South Korea.
It can make the project politically viable.
Now, moving forward, a more ambitious, ensuing plan
may be the implementation of a rail and road link
connecting Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing.
Though for this idea there is a small issue
of the route passing through this bit of land.
While North Korea's role in all this
is a topic for another video, the current easing of tensions
may just be nudging this closer to reality.
This could even set the stage for a trans-Eurasian route
from Tokyo to London, neatly book ended by The Chunnel.
And perhaps, ultimately, one day,
connecting to a trans-global highway.
The construction of additional tunnels and bridges
will be necessary for this grand vision.
And fluid understanding of the laws of physics
that both limit and enable the framework
of human transportation, engineering,
and infrastructure will be required.
If you want to understand the science behind this,
and I mean really understand it, then that will involve
knowing concepts like the difference between bridge types,
whether traffic jams move with
or against the flow of traffic,
and whether structures like these
are doomed to crumble or stabilize.
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