|
| New President, New Waterway |
 When Lee Myung-bak was elected President of South Korea this year he had already established a reputation. His past as CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and former mayor of Seoul had prompted the nickname "Bulldozer" because of his single minded focus on economic growth.
Lee Myung-bak's most recent idea intends to aid the environment by removing heavy cargo from the roads. Plans for his five year term include the completion of the Grand Korean Waterway, an ambitious engineering wonder that is predicted to create 300,000 jobs, reduce transportation congestion, increase international tourism and stimulate the economy's of neighboring cities.
According to Time, Lee Myung-bak, the "conservative businessman," was responsible for the removal of Seoul's central expressway. As mayor of the city in 2003, Lee Myung-bak's project replaced the highway with a well received six mile long stream.
The proposed waterway will stretch the length of the country, approximately 336 miles, and will run between South Korea's largest port, Busan, and the country's capital, Seoul.
An obstacle in the canal's construction is Mungyeong, a city whose terrain is cut by valleys among the Sobaek Mountains. Once an important coal producer, Mungyeong's population has dropped to 75,000 since the country's switch to oil. Today, signs and banners in downtown Mungyeong coax residents to remain in the area during the canal's construction. Panoramic views of high rises and an amusement park foreshadow the city's promised thriving future.
Conception plans include dredging and river flow alteration. Either a 12.4 mile long tunnel or a series of locks and lifts will be constructed to traverse Mungyeong's difficult mountainous terrain. The estimated $50 billion project will be funded privately according to Myung-bak. Costs are anticipated to be recouped by selling recovered rock, sand and gravel from the dredged riverbed.
A shop owner in the area told the International Herald Tribune that the residents of Mungyeong "wish to know for sure when [the construction] will happen." Leery of the completely privately funded project, the owner speculates that the promised completion of the Grand Korean Canal "doesn't sound too real."
Some fear the project will be an environmental disaster because of potential pollution and flooding of the Han and Nakdong Rivers. According to the New York Times, these water sources provide two-thirds of the nation's drinking water. The Korean Times reported that environmentalists are speculating the project will cause the extinction of 58 species and the destruction of up to 258 square miles of surrounding land.
To see previous Spotlights in our new, easier to read Spotlight archive, click here, or discuss this story on our new message boards.
|
|
|
|
 "Click for larger image")