Connecting Korea to Europe in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

There are three ways to connect Korea to Europe, i.e., existing south-west bound maritime routes, railway by Trans-China Railway and Trans-Siberian Railway, and Polar Silk Road (Arctic Silk Road). Although China has not explicitly mentioned Korea in the BRI documents, recent policy and local governments have begun to touch upon the Korean peninsula in association with BRI. In addition, talks among the two Koreas and US have been progressing, despite its uncertainty. Having considered this circumstance, it is worthwhile to investigate the impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on connecting Korea to Europe. This article aims to discuss some key points to make connectivity between Korea and Europe efficient in the context of the BRI and draw its implications for logistics providers and transport carriers.