Expert proposes opening inter

Kim Eil-chul, executive deputy secretary general at World Taekwondo and former CEO of a healthcare IT company, gives a special lecture at Korea University in Seoul, Sept. 26.

By Jung Min-ho

The recent outbreak of African swine fever in South Korea ― roughly four months after North Korea reported an outbreak of the disease near its border with China ― is a chilling reminder that infectious diseases do not respect borders.

Since the outbreak was confirmed at a pig farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, an area near the heavily-armed border with North Korea on Sept. 17, the South Korean government has so far confirmed nine additional cases and is struggling to contain the disease.

What if South Korea could help North Korea stop the epidemic in advance? What if it was a disease that can be transmitted to humans? These are the questions Kim Eil-chul, executive deputy secretary general at World Taekwondo and former CEO of a healthcare IT company, wants policymakers to think about.

"The outbreak shows the importance of inter-Korean cooperation in the biomedical fields," Kim said during a special lecture at Korea University in Seoul on Sept. 26. "To effectively cope with similar challenges in the future, the two Koreas must work together."

He proposed opening an inter-Korean biomedical industrial cluster in Goyang and Paju ― two major South Korean cities near the border.

Tuberculosis is one of the areas where urgent work is needed. According to the World Health Organization, North Korea has 130,000 tuberculosis patients, many of whom are believed to be multi-drug resistant.

"It is a major health crisis for North Koreans and a threat to the people in the South," he said. "If there was a stable system where South Korean experts could help tackle such challenges, it would be great."

He said opening such an area ― the Gaeseong Industrial Zone 2.0, if you like ― would also be beneficial economically and create synergy if the Gaeseong zone opens as many hope.

"Its location (in South Korea) will allow the government to manage its operation more stably regardless of North Korean politics and the international community's reactions to them," he said. "Unlike the Gaeseong zone, the South Korean government can use the facilities flexibly ― with or without North Korea's participation."

Despite the collapse of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February, legendary investor Jim Rogers has repeatedly said peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is just around the corner and that North Korea will offer huge investment opportunities.

Kim also thinks the prospects of a thaw in the U.S.-North Korea relations are quite bright. U.S. President Donald Trump, who is eager for a first-term legacy amid the Ukraine whistleblower scandal, is likely to renew his pursuit of "big deals" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said.

"I hope and expect that Trump and Kim will reach an agreement for everyone," he said.

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