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agentX
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province
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 Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: Grand Canal project WAS quietly cancelled, now back on track |
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Public pressure and reality have put the plan on indefinite hold.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/283845.html
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Growing objections from general public put canal project on hold
Plans to be suspended indefinitely as government collects information and opinion
An official of Cheong Wa Dae on April 23 said that construction of the Grand Korean Waterway will be suspended indefinitely due to growing objections from the public. Cheong Wa Dae is the presidential office also known as the Blue House.
During the presidential election campaign, President Lee Myung-bak pledged that he would pursue the construction of a cross-country waterway running from Seoul to Busan. The presidential office, however, has decided to suspend indefinitely the formation of a government agency and the enactment of a special law on the matter. Instead, a private organization will survey the general public and prepare a promotional plan for the project. It has also been reported that President Lee recently received a report on halting the pursuit of the canal.
The plan to create an agency under Cheong Wa Dae or the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, originally scheduled for launch following the National Assembly election, has been canceled and no special law will be enacted. A consortium of construction companies that was planning to bid on the project will likely postpone submitting its proposal.
Another Cheong Wa Dae official said, �The canal project hasn�t been completely canceled,� adding that a civic organization will look into the matter by conducting technical research studies and gauging public opinion. The ruling Grand National Party will work to persuade politicians and gather their opinions, according to the official.
The canal task force led by Chang Seok-hyo, a former vice mayor of Seoul, was launched in September 2006, when it began planning the project. A number of scholars, such as Jeong Dong-yang of Korea National University of Education and Park Seok-sun of Ewha Womans University, participated in the task force.
President Lee had initially planned to enact a special law on the canal this year and complete the canal in 2012, but he will have to review his plan completely. Cheong Wa Dae is reportedly considering constructing one branch of the canal as a test before 2010, a plan which would require dredging the Yeongsan or Nakdong River.
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Who here said this would get built, again?
Last edited by agentX on Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:10 am; edited 1 time in total |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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yay  . I won't believe them till they expressly promise that they won't build it however. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Oh well.
I liked the idea of the canal. |
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Intrepid
Joined: 13 May 2004
Location: Yongin
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:09 pm Post subject: Canal |
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Thank god.
My sister in-law works for a freight forwarding firm and she says that the canal would have been useless. When containers get to Busan, the "balli-balli" businesses in Seoul want them the next day, by truck, not 3-4 days by canal.
But pity the poor speculators! They're stuck with land bought as advertised: "30m from the canal". |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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Well, despite 60% opposition, making hardly any mention of the canal plans in the election at all, and the simple stupidity of the entire plan, the fuckers are still planning to go ahead with it.
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Canal Plan Will Go Ahead: Minister
The government will push ahead with its controversial canal project if private firms make proposals to the government, the Land Ministry said yesterday.
If private companies propose business plans (on the canal), we will review the opinions of experts and people broadly and go ahead with it, the ministry said in a report to the National Assembly.
The ministry also plans to discuss the plan with the Assembly, provincial governments and other related institutions, it added.
Analysts said that the ministry report could be seen as an official announcement that the government will not abandon the canal project despite mounting opposition.
Top officials from Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party discussed 193 major state projects that were selected in January in their first reporting session last week.
The presidential office and the ruling Grand National Party said they would take more time to consider public opinion.
The Land Ministry also ruled out the possibility of scrapping the innovation city project, saying it would reshape the plan.
We will continue to carry out the construction of innovation cities to spur regional growth, the ministry said.
The governments move to revise the plan to build a new administrative town and innovation cities drew opposition from local residents earlier this month.
Critics argue that the areas where the new cities are to be built will descend into chaos if the central government drastically overhauls the development scheme.
The dispute widened after the Board of Audit and Inspection announced that the former government had overstated the economic benefits of the new city plan.
In addition to the major construction schemes, the ministry said it would further ease the multi-layered restrictions on land development and construction.
By Ko Kyoung-tae |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Why would it be any quicker to take stuff by canal than by sea from Busan to Seoul? It is a little further, but would be slower in a canal, so working out at about the same?
h |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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| The canal is a great idea and I'm happy they HAVE decided to go ahead w/ the plan. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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mrsquirrel and spliff agree
It's sure to be a good idea. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Underwaterbob wrote: |
mrsquirrel and spliff agree
It's sure to be a good idea. |
Nothing like a spot of pike fishing in a canal.
Even nice if you can get a boat for a few days and travel up or down the waterways.
Lovely it is. |
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michael5799042
Joined: 16 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| It is such a crazy idea. If they decided too look at a map they could easily see that Seoul and Busan are already connected by water! |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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jim_we
Joined: 06 May 2004
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Can you say, "white elephant?!?" |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:33 am Post subject: |
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| Well, fingers crossed no big businesses will touch this project with a barge pole, and without the business interest the plan will genuinely be shelved. |
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agentX
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:12 am Post subject: |
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So, they wanna pass the buck onto a private firm or firms, huh?
I wonder which one will be foolish enough to take the bait. |
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bejarano-korea
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| mrsquirrel wrote: |
| Underwaterbob wrote: |
mrsquirrel and spliff agree
It's sure to be a good idea. |
Nothing like a spot of pike fishing in a canal.
Even nice if you can get a boat for a few days and travel up or down the waterways.
Lovely it is. |
I said that too Squirrel - boating holidays are the way to go - those one horse towns on the canal - it will bring in tourist revenue!
Nothing beats a cruise along the canal on your own barge with the sun on your back and a tinny in your hand!  |
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