Checking out the viability of Moon Jae-in’s Nine Bridges plan
In June, 2017, Moon established the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation, after which it appointed Song Young-gil (formerly the envoy that is special Russia and fabled due to their share to your development of Russian–South Korean relations, which explains why he previously been provided the Russia’s purchase of relationship) as being a brain connected with Committee in August. Inside their keynote speech at Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in 2017, Moon broadened the idea of the brand new Northern Policy aided by the “Nine Bridges” initiative, installing lots of aspects of cooperation between your two nations (the “bridges” here a metaphorical) september. The point that is interesting Nine Bridges will it be is not just a government declaration nevertheless a quite definite financial cooperation system, centering on certain jobs. In this respect it is particularly appropriate to determine the fruitfulness of these jobs, because they seem like both an important pillar for and evidence from the viability for the Russian vector in present South Korean policy that is international.
One of the most forward-looking instructions for your time and effort may be the “gas bridge.” Despite the fact that propane trade is just a old-fashioned industry of cooperation between two states, Russia just is not the large choice of top gas exporters to Southern Korea. Seoul thus seeks to diversify its gas import companies by purchasing more LNG from Russia. The master plan is always to enhance the supplies of Russian LNG, which are currently about the amount of 1.5 million tonnes per one year, centered on a 2005 agreement between KOGAS and Sakhalin Energy, operating company of Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 gas development tasks. (more…)