Moon moots ‘single economic community’ of the two Koreas

SEOUL - Speaking at an official Government ceremony marking both the 73rd anniversary of Liberation Day (which is celebrated in both North and South Korea to commemorate Victory over Japan Day), and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Government,  President Moon Jae-in said economic co-operation between North and South Korea over the next 30 years could be worth at least KRW170 trillion.

“Even though political unification is still far away, building a single economic community first by settling peace and freely traveling back and forth between the two Koreas will become genuine liberation for us,” he said. 
 Moon spoke at Natonal Museum in Seoul’s Yongsan-gu District, where the Japanese military base was located during colonial times. Since the liberation of Korea, the district has symbolised the Seoul-Washington alliance. 

During the ceremony, the President spoke of the peace and prosperity of the two Koreas bringing to light unknown aspects of the history of the independence movement, and the economic value of peace. 
Moon said his Administration’s goal was to establish special unification economic zones in the border areas of Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do provinces, and to reconnect inter-Korean railroads and roads, as agreed in the Panmunjeom Declaration.

According to research by State-run organizations, the impact of inter-Korean economic co-operation over the next 30 years is estimated to be at least KRW170 trillion. 
The President also mentioned the East Asian Railroad Community, which brings six Northeast Asian nations and the U.S. together.

He said, “The community will expand the horizons of the Korean economy to the northernmost parts of the continent and become the main artery for mutual prosperity across Northeast Asia.

“It will then lead to the creation of East Asian energy and economic communities. Moreover, it will initiate a Northeast Asian multilateral peace and security system.” www.korea.kr (ATI).