‘Storm shows need for undersea tunnel to mainland’
Governor of South Jeolla Province again calls for high-speed rail network

In light of the recent stranding of passengers here, the governor of South Jeolla Province has reiterated the need for an undersea tunnel that links Jeju with the mainland.

Governor (이낙연) Lee Nak-yeon issued a statement Tuesday, saying that the latest situation proves the necessity of a tunnel between Mokpo in South Jeolla Province and the island… with high-speed train services that would link Jeju all the way up to Seoul. Politicians and local governments have been split over the tunnel proposal for years. The plan was proposed in 2009 but was shelved a year later due to cost concerns and opposition from Jeju, which claimed at the time the construction of a new airport was more urgent than an underwater rail system.

Governor Lee said... another airport was not enough to counter the challenges posed by climate change. He argued that it was in the best interest of Korea’s tourism industry that a Seoul-Jeju KTX route be developed as soon as possible.

The proposed Mokpo-Jeju tunnel would cost an estimated 16.8 trillion won. It would take up to 16 years to build.

이낙연 전남지사, 해저터널 필요성 또 제기

폭설과 한파로 제주공항이 마비돼 관광객의 발길이 묶이는 초유의 사태가 발생한 가운데 제주와 다른지방을 잇는 해저터널 건설 주장이 또 다시 나오고 있습니다.
이낙연 전남지사는 오늘 성명을 내고 이번 폭설과 강풍으로 인한 제주공항 마비사태는 목포 - 제주간 해저터널을 통한 서울 - 제주간 KTX 개통의 필요성을 재확인했다고 주장했습니다.
공항 증설만으로는 기상악화, 특히 갈수록 심각해질 기상이변에 대처할 수 없다며 제주도의 미래를 위해서도, 대한민국 관광산업의 발전을 위해서도 서울 - 제주간 KTX 개통을 서두를 것을 중앙정부에 요청한다고 덧붙혔습니다.
목표 - 제주 해저터널의 경우 공사비 16조 8천억원, 공사기간 16년을 예상하고 있으며 국토교통부는 지난 2010년 타당성 조사에서 경제성이 없다는 결론을 내린 바 있습니다.