Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Privateer]

http://www.korealawblog.com/entry/lmbs_canal_project_full_speed_ahead_2011_completion/

So Lee Myung Park is planning to build a canal all the way through Korea from Seoul to Busan.



Can only hope this project collapses under the weight of its own ridiculousness before it gets off the ground.

[RACETRAITOR]

It was one of his big promises (that and Jesus), so I'm not sure. He already defied logic by reviving Cheonggyechon at a cost of almost a billion dollars, just to make himself look good for president, so I think we can expect to see digging start on this canal in the near future, at least until there's a horrible flood or something.

The dude's election slogan should've been "A man, a plan, a canal--Lee Myungbag!" He probably needs to think about canals just to maintain an erection.

[kiwiduncan]

I was discussing the canal plans with one of my students at lunchtime today. He mentioned that one of the justifications cited for building the canal is that it will reduce transportation costs and greenhouse gases emissions.

However, the construction itself will have huge financial and environmental costs, including all the greenhouse gases from the construction machinery, concrete laying and so on. Also, from what I can comprehend from some Korean websites, the canals and long stretches of the rivers will require constant dregding in order to maintain them as navigable waterways.

If LMB really wants to save energy and reduce greenhouse gases surely a better approach would include promoting the use of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, requiring all large public buildings to have automatic doors, discouraging over-packaging of foods and having some kind of "your office doesn't have to be a JjimJilBang in winter" campaign.

For the Kyopos, Koreans and others able to read Korean, here is a link to a website opposing the project.

http://www.gobada.co.kr/

[RACETRAITOR]

[dalpengi]

Seoul on the map of Korea:


Any reason why a canal couldn�t be built linking Seoul with the Sea of Japan/East Sea via Gangwon-do (highlighted on te map below)?



Would be less wasteful than creating a moster running from one end of the country to the other (Busan, below).



[/img]

[reactionary]

Could be due to lobbying by Pusan - maybe they want to retain some semblance of being the biggest port.

However, still an immensely stupid idea. We're not talking Panama here wedged between two huge continents - we're talking about the tiny-ass korean peninsula.

[RACETRAITOR]

[dalpengi]

I have never been there but I know it is fairly mountinous. Wasn�t sure to what degree and to what degree it would complicate building a canal.
So, I take it is impossible, or at least would not be easier than building all the way to Busan?

[dalpengi]

Yeah, it looks like it would be a bit of a challenge.

[dalpengi]

Another map:
http://www.freeworldmaps.net/asia/south-korea/map.html

[kiwiduncan]

The 'canal' will for the most part actually be two rivers (The Han that goes north to Seoul and the NakDong that goes south to Busan) connected with a real canal dug somewhere in the middle of the country. I understand the length of entirely new, artificial waterways is only about 20 to 40km.

Having said that, they are going to have to seriously mess up the natural Han and Nakdong river systems with dredging, groynes, reservoirs, locks and other features in order to make the entire system navigable, hence the opposition from environmentalists and skepticism from economists.

If I was an international investor I wouldn't touch this project with a barge pole.

[davai!]

in case anyone else was wondering.... (wikipedia)

[uberscheisse]

seoul-busan on a bus, 5-6 hours.

seoul-busan in a canal boat/barge, 5-6 months.

moronic idea.

[kiwiduncan]

From the canal opposition website here is a map of the course of the proposed canal.

[IncognitoHFX]