On the second day of this year’s Asia Cruise Forum Jeju…members began discussing the launch of cruises from Jeju to North Korea, dubbed the “peace cruise line”... Lee Hee-jung joins me in the studio for more.

In 1998, Jeju started sending mandarins to North Korea as part of relief aid… and continued to do so for the next 12 years until the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan(천안) in 2010.

[slug]
Cruise service to North Korea considered

But with news of positive developments from the latest high-level inter-Korean talks, Jeju is considering opening up a cruise service to North Korea, as a new form of inter-Korean exchange.

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Peace Cruise Line to proceed in multiple stages

[reporter]
Lee Hee-jung

Participants of this year’s Asia Cruise Forum Jeju discussed details for the so-called “Peace Cruise Line” which would include North Korean port cities like Nampo(남포) and Wonjin(원진).

The project would take place in multiple stages, beginning with Chinese tourists on Chinese-owned ships, since it is relatively easy for China to enter North Korean territory. The second phase would include South Korean tourists along with foreign tourists on non-South Korean vessels… and in the final stage, the hope is to incorporate South Korean-owned ships to North Korea.

The project is expected to vitalize exchange between the two Koreas and ease the tension in Northeast Asia.

[INTERVIEW]
Kim Eui-keun / Organizing Comm. for 2015 Asia Cruise Forum
The military situation has improved along the NLL in the West Sea. There has been a long discontinuation of tourism exchange between the two Koreas, and now is a good time for it to restart.
김의근/제주국제크루즈포럼 조직위원장
"서해 NLL의 군사적 긴장이 완화되고
북한과의 민간교류에 있어 관광교류가 중단돼 있는데
중단된 관광·인적교류를 크루즈를 통해서는 서로의//
**수퍼체인지**
이해가 맞기 때문 쉽게 풀릴 것 같습니다."

The Peace Cruise Line will be supported by the central government as well as the local Jeju Provincial Government.

[INTERVIEW]
Won Heeryong / Jeju governor
Linking Jeju, the “Island of Peace,” to the North Korean ports of Wonsan or Nampo through a Peace Cruise Line would open up a new path to dialogue with North Korea.
원희룡/제주특별자치도지사
"평화의 섬 제주와 북한의 원산 혹은 남포를
크루즈라인으로 연결한다면 북한은 아시아의 일원으로
소통과 개방의 기을 열게 될 것입니다."

[INTERVIEW]
Yoo Ki-june / Minister of Oceans and Fisheries
I believe the Peace Cruise Line would help to increase civil exchanges and ease tension between the two Koreas. The Oceans and Fisheries Ministry will review the idea positively.
유기준/해양수산부장관
"북한과의 관계가 민간교류도 많아지고
북한의 긴장을 늦추는 면에서는
평화크루즈가 좋은 프로그램이라고 생각하기 때문에
앞으로 구상이 실천화될 때는 해수부에서//
**수퍼체인지**
적극 검토하겠습니다."

[camera]
Hyeon Gwang-hoon

However, it may take some time for diplomatic and security issues to be discussed with the proposed cruise lines from Europe and the United States… plus there’s the matter of gaining access into North Korean waters.

[INTERVIEW]
Kim Yoon-young / Chairman, The Korea Logistics Forum
The most important task is to create an institutional foundation for cooperation. It is vital that the two Koreas directly discuss the issue.
김윤영/남북물류포럼 회장
"가장 중요한 과제는 교류 협력을 할 수 있는
제도적 기반을 마련하는 것입니다.
그것은 남과 북이 직접 이 문제에 대해서
허심탄회하게 이야기해서//
**수퍼체인지**
할 수 있도록 하는 것이 중요합니다.

The Peace Cruise Line is the brainchild of global cruise industries, Jeju and the South Korean central government.