IRTC Discusses Ways
of Connecting South,
North Korea & Northeast Asia

The 1st International Road and Traffic Conference (IRTC) was held at the grand ballroom of KINTEX July 7-8, under the sponsorship of Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), with the goal of enhancing Korea's standing as the logistics hub of Northeast Asia by exchanging information on the latest research, technology and policy trends in the road and transportation sector of several countries. True to the theme "Transport Network Connection for Korea & East Asia,"speakers have presented tutorials and discussed on ways of building up road infrastructure in South and North Korea as well as Northeast Asia.
Participating in the theme presentations and discussions during the two-day conference were the Korean Ministry of Construction and Transportation, UNESCAP, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport China's Institute of Comprehensive Transportation and Sam Schwartz of the United States.
Invited guest speakers included Sirisena Amarasekara, vice minister of the Ministry of Highway, of Sri Lanka, Sommad Pholsena, vice minister of the Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction, of Laos, Brian Harris, vice president of International Road Federation, who delivered a commemorative speech or a keynote speech.
The IRTC highlighted the Asian Highway Project connecting 32 Asian countries, including Korea, China and Russia, with UNESCAP taking the initiative.
As to the construction of road networks connecting South and North Korea, Han Sang-jin, senior researcher at KOTI, proposed the initial construction of six inter-Korean sections - the 19 km-long Munsan- Gaeseong section on the National Highway No. 1 Line, 20 km-long Cheolweon-Pyeonggang on the National Highway No. 3 Line, 62 km-long Hwaceon-Pyeonggang section on the National Highway No. 5 Line, 40 km-long Ganseong-Jangjeon section on the National Highway No. 7 Line, 25 km-long Yanggu-Baekhyeon section on the National Highway No. 31 Line and 40 km-long Shincheolweon-Geundong section on the National Highway No. 43 Line.
Han suggested a stage-by-stage strategy to upgrade North Korea? backward road infrastructure by building up major trunk roads linking North Korea's major cities, industrial complexes and ports in accordance with the progress of thawing inter-Korean relations following the construction of the initial stage. The following are the excerpts of tutorials presented by speakers.

'Asian Highway Development Strategy'

By V. Timfeev, UNESCAP advisor on transport
In 1992, UNESCAP adopted the Asian Highway project aimed at promoting regional cooperation/ trade in Asia.
The Asian Highway Network covers about 140,000 km in 55 routes in 32 Asian UN member countries. The Asian Highway Network's connection with the European Road Network is expected to accelerate land transport linkage between Asia and Europe.
As of July 4, 2005, 27 member states have signed and 10 have ratified, approved or accepted the Intergovernmental Agreement on Asian Highway (AH) Network reached during the UNESCAP Congress held in Shanghai on April 26. The agreement, comprising 19 articles and three attached documents, stipulates, among others, Asian Highway routes, design standards, revision procedures and solution of disputes.
The agreement is to go into force three months after at least eight of the 32 member countries ratify it. The relevant roads will be renovated in accordance with the agreement and road signboards indicating the Asian Highway will be set up within five years following its entry into force. The member countries which have yet to ink the deal, citing their unfinished internal procedures, are expected to follow suit in ratifying the agreement.

'Highway Network Connection in the Korean Peninsula'

By Han Sang-jin, senior researcher at KOTI
Connection of highway network in the Korean Peninsula will accelerate economic cooperation between the two Koreas; realize Asian Highway Network development; and facilitate development of Integrated Transport Network in Northeast Asia, thus resulting in peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
The three-stage strategy for highway network connect in the Korean Peninsula calls for construction of disconnected road sections; development of trunk roads connecting major cities, industrial areas, ports and airports in North Korea; and expansion of 7x9 grid network concept in South Korea into North Korea. The Disconnected road sections between the two Koreas are the 19 km-long Munsan- Gaeseong section on the National Highway No. 1 Line, 20 km-long Cheolweon-Pyeonggang on the National Highway No. 3 Line, 62 km-long Hwaceon-Pyeonggang section on the National Highway No. 5 Line, 40 km-long Ganseong-Jangjeon section on the National Highway No. 7 Line, 25 km-long Yanggu-Baekhyeon section on the National Highway No. 31 Line and 40 km-long Shincheolweon-Geundong section on the National Highway No. 43 Line.

'Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) Transportation Study'

By Sameul I. Schwartz, president of Sam Schwartz, PLLC
Gaeseong Industrial Complex will be located 60 km from Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and 170 km from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Construction on the industrial complex started om 2004 and will ultimately encompass approximately 7,000 acres over an 8-year project period. The first stage will last 1 year and encompass approximately 900 acres. Construction in the second phase will add an additional 1,500 acres of industrial space and will be completed in the fifth year of development. The third and final phase of construction will add another 4,600 acres and it scheduled to be completed by 2008.
SSC recommends that the project to reconnect the discontinued section of the Gyeongui Railway would bypass Seoul and shorten travel time for cargo heading from Gaeseong to Incheon Int? Airport or ship port. It also suggests that the new highway extension would shorten distance and time for trucks heading from Gaeseong to Incheon, and the highway would prevent congestion from commercial trucks in Seoul? northern metropolitan area.

'National Land Policy in Japan and
Transportation System in East Asia'

By Toshiyasu Noda, director of the National Planning Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, of Japan
Physical Distribution Network In East Asia and Japan
In East Asia and Japan, most cargo is transported by container ship. When transporting containers on a container ship, cargo must be transferred to the ship at the port. When using RORO ships, trucks can be driven on board without unloading the cargo, and can drive off the ship at the destination. A service by Shanghai Super Express to operate RORO ship service twice a week between Hakata and Shanghai started last year. This service realizes a delivery within three days, and the number of cargo orders has been steadily growing since its start.
From now on, mutual interaction between East Asian countries is expected to be further activated towards the formation of the East Asia Economic Group, including the progress of FTAs. Under this environment, it will be important to realize a seamless transportation system within East Asia, by pursuing convenience similar to domestic mobility, by improving the international network such as through aviation and maritime traffic, and by improving the transition convenience with domestic transportation. Therefore, in the logistics field, it will be necessary to establish international internodal transport in East Asia. It will also be required to utilize Route 1 in Japan, which connects Tokyo and Hakata and was assigned as one of the Asian Highways.

'Transport Infrastructure Development in China'

By Wenhua Wu Wenhua, research Associate of the Department of Transportation Economics and Technology at the Institute of Comprehensive Transportation of NDRC, of China
Urban Transport
As the rapid economic development in China, especially central government determined the development policy to set automobile industrial as prop industrial, automobile manufacture has become a main investment field and there are over 2000 enterprises of motor vehicle making or fittings manufacture at present. In 2004, the total production amount and sale amount of various automobiles were both over 5 million units. From 1980 to 2003, the number of civil automobiles owned increased from 1.78 million units to 23.83 million units, the average annual growth rate is 12 percent, especially in recent years the number of civil automobiles owned increased fast and the average annual growth rate reached 30 percent in three years from 2000 to 2003. The rapidly increasing motorization directly results to: heavy traffic congestion in urban districts especially in super cities, serious air pollution from vehicles?emission, Increasing road traffic accidents and losses, and rapid increase of fuel consumption.
In Chinese urban transport system, because urban rail transit system has not been developed, the total length of urban rail lines of metro and light track are less than 300km in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, so road transport always plays the absolute main role, bicycles and buses are the main travel and commutation means. At present, about 60 percent of urban travel is still taken by bicycles. It is imperative to improve the level of public transport.
In the past two decades, the length and area of national urban roads have increased quickly, and the number of public vehicles of buses, trolley bus and taxi also increased rapidly, but the number of passengers carried by bus and trolley bus increased comparatively slowly. For an example, the total length of urban roads increased to 208 thousand kilometers in 2003 from 94.8 thousand kilometers in 1990, doubled in 13 years, and the total area of urban roads added to 3156.5 million square meters in 2003 from 892 million square meters in 1990, over tripled in 13 years, and the total number of urban public vehicles of bus and trolley bus increased to 264 thousand units in 2003 from 62.2 thousand units in 1990, but the total number of passengers carried by buses and trolley bus increased to 38.1 billion person-times in 2003 from 27.7 billion person-times in 1990, only increased 37.5 percent in the 13 years. It is noted that the average number of public transport vehicles per 10 thousand persons was 9.8 standard sets in 2000 and this indicator was down to 7.6 standard sets in 2003. nw

Kang Jae-hong, president of the Korea Transport Institute, delivers an opening remark during the 1st International Road and Traffic Conference (IRTC) held at the grand ballroom of KINTEX July 7-8.