The Seoul government wants to cooperate with Russia to stabilize and diversify energy supplies for South Korea.

In an interview with Russian media, Korean Ambassador to Moscow, Chung Tae-ik, said prospects for cooperation are very bright. He announced a feasibility study is under way to build a gas pipeline connecting Siberia and South Korea.

The envisioned four-thousand kilometer pipeline will bring gas from Irkutsk in western Russia to South Korea. The project is estimated to cost eleven billion U.S. dollars with a projected completion date of 20-10.

Ambassador Chung also stated that the pipeline project would gain momentum after the feasibility study is finished within the month, adding that the two countries still need to discuss financing, the route of the pipeline and gas prices.

South Korea's energy consumption is projected to increase by seven to eight million tons by 20-10 and Seoul wants to meet the demand with supplies from Russia.

The ambassador also re-affirmed the two countries' interest in linking a cross-border Korean railway, currently under construction, with the trans-Siberian railway.