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Fri, March 24, 2023 | 20:51
Rajin-Khasan project raises question over Seoul's stance on May 24 measures
南 점검단 방북…나진-하산 프로젝트 시범운송 시작
Posted : 2014-11-24 17:05
Updated : 2014-11-24 18:28
Yi Whan-woo
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By Yi Whan-woo

South Korea is making a controversial approach toward its economic sanctions against North Korea in its steps to implement the Eurasia initiative, which inevitably requires Pyongyang's cooperation.

Under the government's supervision, POSCO, the country's largest steelmaker, will import Russian coal via North Korea this week as a part of its feasibility test for the "Rajin-Khasan project." Embarked on in 2008, Pyongyang and Moscow have been refurbishing a railway between the two areas.

Some 45,000 tons of bituminous coal produced from western Siberia will be transported from the Russian town of Khasan to the ice-free northeastern port of Rajin in North Korea along a 54-kilometer cross-border railway. By Saturday, a China-flagged vessel will ship the coal to Pohang, a port city in North Gyeongsang Province where POSCO's steel mills are located.

Such import will take place amid the government's stance that it will not lift the so-called May 24 measures despite calls for the improvement of frayed inter-Korean ties.

The punitive measures ban all inter-Korean trade and other cooperative efforts, except for those within the Gaesong Industrial Park (GIC). Seoul imposed them against the internationally-isolated state on May 24, 2010, in response to Pyongyang's sinking of the South Korean frigate Cheonan in March of that year.

The Ministry of Unification said Monday that the import of Russian coal via North Korea should be seen as "exceptional."

"The government is making an exception to its May 24 measures as it's geared toward carrying out Park's Eurasia initiative at the same time," unification ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol said.

Unveiled in October 2013, the initiative aims at linking roads and railways for the construction of a multi-purpose logistics networks among Eurasian nations. In particular, it proposes the construction of a Trans-Siberian express railway that will start from Busan and extend to London via North Korea and Russia.

The "Rajin-Khasan project" is seen as an integral part to implement this initiative.

A 13-member South Korean delegation is on a five-day visit to Rajin to monitor the transport process of the coal. The members include one unification ministry official and 12 representatives from POSCO, Hyundai Merchant Marine and the Korea Railroad Corporation.

The three South Korean enterprises formed a consortium to take part in the "Rajin-Khasan project" by purchasing a share from the Russian side, which holds a 70-percent stake.

Lim said the deal this time does not "seriously violate" the May 24 measures because POSCO does not directly deal with North Korea.

According to Lim, POSCO will pay the import cost worth $4 million to a Russian coal mine developer, which will deliver the coal to Rajin. He refused to give name of the company.

Lim said the firm will pay port charges as well as partial fees for using the railroad to North Korea.

Yoo Ho-yeol, a North Korean studies professor at Korea University, said, "The Park government is taking a flexible approach toward the May 24 measures."

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, agreed. However, he said the direct deal between the two Koreas is a violation of the May 24 measures.

"South Korea's participation in the ‘Rajin-Kassan project' can be controversial in several ways, especially if the two Koreas begin to deal with each other directly," he said.


南 점검단 방북…나진-하산 프로젝트 시범운송 시작

남·북·러 협력 사업인 나진-하산 프로젝트의 사업 타당성을 확인하기 위한 시범 운송이 24일 시작됐다.

통일부 관계자는 이날 '우리측 점검단이 예정대로 오전 10시께 북러 국경을 넘어 북쪽으로 들어간 것으로 알고 있다'고 밝혔다.

포스코, 현대상선, 코레일 3사 컨소시엄 관계자들과 정부 관계자 등 우리 측 점검단 13명은 전날 열차를 타고 러시아 극동 블라디보스토크를 출발 이날 러시아 국경역 하산을 지나 북한 나진항이 있는 나선특별시에 들어간 것으로 알려졌다. 시범 운송에 함께 참여하고 있는 러시아 철도공사(RZD) 측도 '9명의 러시아 대표단과 한국 측 점검단이 북한으로 들어갔다'고 밝혔다.

 

점검단은 28일까지 나진항에 머무르면서 러시아 하산과 북한 나진항을 잇는 54㎞ 구간 철도를 통해 반입된 시베리아산 유연탄 4만500t이 중국 선적 화물선에 실려 나가는 전 과정을 지켜볼 예정이다.  

러시아 측과의 계약 체결에 앞서 석탄 반입, 하역·선적, 선박 입·출항 등의 물류 처리 절차를 현지에서 직접 점검함으로써 사업 타당성과 안정성이 충분히 있는지를 따져보는 것이 이번 시범 운송의 목적이다.

선적 작업이 원활히 진행되고 기상 조건에 문제가 없으면 배는 28일 오전 10시께 나진항을 떠나 29일 밤 10시께 포항항에 도착할 예정이다.

석탄 구매사인 포스코는 포항항에서 석탄을 인도받아 쇳물 생산 공정의 연료로 사용할 예정이다. 

나진-하산 프로젝트는 노후화돼 제 역할을 못하는 하산∼나진항 54㎞ 구간의 철도를 개보수하고 나진항 3호 부두를 현대화해 동북아 주요 물류 거점을 확보하는 사업이다. 

이 프로젝트 추진을 위해 지난 2008년 7대 3의 지분 구조로 합작 기업인 '라손콘트란스'를 세운 러-북 양측은 지난해 9월 하산-나진항 구간 철도 개보수 작업을 마치고 열차 운행을 시작했으며 올해 7월에는 나진항 현대화 공사도 마무리했다.

포스코 등 우리 기업 컨소시엄은 러시아 지분의 절반가량을 인수해 우회적으로 사업에 참여하는 방안을 추진 중이다.  

우리 정부는 나진-하산 프로젝트가 유라시아 이니셔티브 정책의 첫 가시적 성과물이 될 것으로 보고 이를 5·24 대북 제재의 예외로 간주하고 있다.

한국 측 컨소시엄 관계자는 '이번 시범 운송이 성공적으로 끝나고 나면 내부 검토 작업과 러시아 측과의 지분가격 협상 등을 거쳐 내년 상반기까지 사업 참여 여부에 대한 최종 결론을 내릴 것'이라고 전망했다.

이 관계자는 '최근 들어 유엔의 북한 인권 결의안 채택 등으로 다시 남북한 간 긴장이 조성되고 있지만 나진-하산 프로젝트는 우리 정부가 대북 관계의 끈을 유지하고 유라시아 이니셔티브 구상을 실현하는 첫 사업이란 차원에서 관심을 기울이고 있는 만큼 정세 변화에 큰 영향을 받지 않을 것으로 본다'고 밝혔다. (연합뉴스)
Emailyistory@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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