The Russian gas giant’s announcement comes in the wake of the recent warming of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, and a general cooling of tensions in the region.
« The political situation at the moment is now somewhat different, and the South Korean side has appealed to Gazprom regarding the resumption of this project, » Gazprom board of directors deputy head Vitaly Markelov told reporters.
« A series of negotiations has been conducted on this issue, and negotiations are continuing, » Markelov added.
The idea of a Russian gas pipeline crossing the Korean Peninsula first appeared in 2008, when Gazprom and Korea Gas Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on the delivery of gas supplies from the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline to South Korea, with 700 km of the proposed 1,100 km pipeline passing through North Korea. The pipeline would have had a capacity of about 20 billion cubic meters per year, with deliveries divided between North and South Korea.
Late last year, during a visit to Russia, President Moon spoke about « nine bridges » of economic cooperation between Moscow and Seoul, in areas including gas, rail, seaports, electricity, Arctic shipping, shipbuilding, job creation, agriculture and fisheries. Pointing to South Korea’s status as the world’s second-largest importer of gas, Moon said Seoul wished « to not only import gas from Russia but also take part in joint energy development projects. »
In recent years, the two countries have also discussed the prospect of constructing an energy bridge that would see Russian electricity flowing south. That project too was put on hold amid a deteriorating security situation in the region.
