Kim Jong-un boards a train in Pyongyang for his trip to Vietnam. South Koreans are excited about the possibility of being able to travel to other countries by train. AP

By Jung Min-ho

Facing a belligerent regime in the north for decades, South Koreans have become so used to the belief that ― like people living on an island ― traveling overseas almost always requires air tickets.

So when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced earlier this month that he would take a train to Vietnam for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28, they were pleasantly surprised.

The news reminded South Koreans that Korea is part of the Asian continent and, if the North opens its railways to them, they too can go to Vietnam or even Britain by train.

South Korea has resources to build world-class high-speed trains and railways, and its people have purchasing power and interest in overseas travel. With Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in already cooperating to connect railways along the eastern and western Korean Peninsula, the dream of connecting South Korea with the rest of Asia and beyond by land no longer seems just a dream.

The only thing that blocks the path is United States-led sanctions against North Korea, which many people hope will be lifted if the summit is a success.

In a phone call with Trump last week, Moon said South Korea was ready to proceed with the rail and other economic projects, including reopening the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex, where more than 120 South Korean companies were operating before it was shut down in 2016 amid mounting tensions.

The project was initiated during the Roh Moo-hyun administration about 15 years ago, but it was soon derailed by politics and global sanctions against North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons.

Once the railways are connected, they are first expected to be used for shipping all kinds of goods, which will significantly reduce costs for South Korea.

Better infrastructure will also help North Korea develop its economy. Its railways and operating systems have changed little since the end of the Korean War (1950-53).

"If South and North Koreas are connected through infrastructure, the economic territory of our country will be expanded," said Lee Hae-jung, a researcher at the Hyundai Research Institute.

South Korean government officials completed an initial survey of the main rail routes in the North in December, but more detailed surveys are needed to develop a concrete plan for construction.

During the ceremony to launch the project that month, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi said it will be the catalyst for co-prosperity between the Koreas. There is optimism that the beginning is just around the corner.