Train Trip to Vietnam No Longer Pipe Dream for South Koreans

By Jung Min-ho

Facing a belligerent regime in the north for decades, South Koreans have become so used to the belief that ― like people living on an island ― traveling overseas almost always requires air tickets.

So when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced earlier this month that he would take a train to Vietnam for his second summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi on Feb.

27 and 28, they were pleasantly surprised.

The news reminded South Koreans that Korea is part of the Asian continent and, if the North opens its railways to them, they too can go to Vietnam or even Britain by train.

South Korea has resources to build world-class high-speed trains and railways, and its people have purchasing power and interest in overseas travel. With Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in already cooperating to connect railways along the eastern and western Korean Peninsula, the dream of connecting South Korea with the rest of Asia and beyond by land no longer seems just a dream

The only thing that blocks the path is United States-led sanctions against North Korea, which many people hope will be lifted if the summit is a success.

In a phone call with Trump last week, Moon said South Korea was ready to proceed with the rail and other economic projects, including reopening the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex, where more than 120 South Korean companies were operating before it was shut down in 2016 amid mounting tensions.

The project was initiated during the Roh Moo-hyun administration about 15...