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S ｜ U ｜ M ｜ M ｜ A ｜ R ｜ Y
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A Study on Cross-Border Projects in Amnok River Region and Strategic Suggestions
Cheon-Kyu KIM, Sang-Jun LEE, Jeong-Ho MOON Young-Tae Lim, Gun-Min YI
Keywords: North Korea-China Border Region, Cross-Border Cooperation, Amnok River Zone Development, International Special Economic Zone
North Korea (hereafter DPRK) and China share Amnok River as the national border, and the riversides can be a promising land for future cross-border cooperation between the two countries. Currently, not to mention of China, there is a growing possibility that North Korea may adopt "opening strategies"
sooner or later. Actually, there are on-going cross-border projects such as New Amnok Bridge, and Hwangeumpyeong Development in Dandong(China) and Shineuiju(DPRK) region. Regarding such changing situation, particularly from the South Korean perspective, it would be very important and urgent to broaden the possibilities of participating in the cross-border cooperative projects in Amnok River region. Such efforts would contribute to progress the South and North Korea's relationship, as well as the promotion of peace
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in the Northeast Asia.
This study began out of such concerns and aims to analysis of current situation, potential and prospects of cross-border cooperation in the Amnok River region. In doing so, this study would not only posit a set of most possible and significant cooperative projects in the region, but also suggest a set of policy directives and practical strategies to drive those projects for DPRK, China and South Korea.
This study is composed of 4 parts. In chapter 2, we review the theoretical and normative aspects of cross-border cooperation in the DPRK-China border region. In chapter 3, we collect and analyze the existing or potential development policies, plans and projects of both countries. In chapter 4, we draw a set of possible and practical cooperative projects by 4 sectors such as industrial complex, tourism, transportation-logistics and water resource development.
North Korea's "opening strategies" is most likely to be initiated from the Amnok River region, especially in Dandong(China) and Shineuiju(DPRK) where some actual cross-border projects are on-going. So far, cross-border cooperation in the region could not have been active because DPRK has been closed and isolated for a long time. Yet, there are observed some changing symptoms inside DPRK, and the rapidly growing economy of China is giving pressure DPRK to open. As China acts like a big brother in the region, the structure of Northeast Asian (including South Korea) cooperation might be settled to serve better China's benefit rather than two Koreas'. Therefore, in order to make a better balanced benefits among the concerning countries, the cross-border projects in Amnok River region should be engineered in a more systematic and cooperative manner.
China clearly drives developmental strategies in northeast part of the country in recent years as expressed as "Northeastern Promotion" in its national
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development plan. In accordance with such national strategic directives, development plans such as Plan of Revitalizing Northeast China (2007), The Development Plan of Liaoning Coastal Economic Zone (2009), 12 5 Northeast China Plan , etc. DPRK also puts an emphasis on development of northwest region centered by Shineuiju area, which is directly connected to Dandong, China across the Abrog River. As such, the two countries seem to acknowledge the strategic value of cross-border cooperation in the Amnok River region.The list of possible cooperative projects in this region is quite long, and this study examined the items of the long list by the criteria of necessity, potential, feasibility(economic and political) and institutional reliability. As a result, we selected 4 possible projects as follows.
Shineuiju(DPRK)-Dandong(China) Transport and Logistics Complex International Tourism Belt along Amnok Riverside
Amnok River International Economic Zone Development Joint Amnok River Water Resource Management Project
Besides of those projects, this study closely reviewed the project of Environmental Preservation along Amnok River which was finally withdrawn due to lack of urgency and the possibility of (partly) incorporation in the Water Resource Management Project.
Those cross-border cooperative projects in the Amnok River region would bring practical benefits to DPRK and China in economic stance, as well as to South Korea in a long-term perspective. The most significant concern of this study is to elaborate and posit South Korea's strategic directives to facilitate those projects and ultimately to participate in them. In such regards, this we posit a set of principle strategic guidelines as follows.
A project shall be engineered and propelled in consideration of dynamics of Northeast Asian security and diplomatic circumstances. South Korea
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shall take two-phases approaches, like South Korea-China cooperation first and South Korea-China-DPRK cooperation later. Any immature and hasty movement toward a direct South-North Korean cooperation would rather be a failure. The priority among the suggested projects shall be determined by the actual economic impacts on the region. The projects would better be implemented by private sector and international organization rather than the governments. An IT applied logistics complex development project could be a flagship project which is possibly followed by related projects like transportation infrastructure development, industrial complex development, etc.
Concluding the study, we would like to propose some pragmatic action guidelines for the South Korean government. First, in order to increase the possibility of the proposed projects in Amnok River region, we need to form a consultative association or organization. The government should support a private-centered consultative association with China and hopefully DPRK entities. Second, in order to raise and promote social or public discourse on Amnok River cross-border projects, a "Amnok River Development Forum"
could be formed by the academia and private experts in association with the consultative body mentioned above. Third, we can establish a "Amnok River Development Corporation" as South Korean-Chinese association of related public corporations.
