OK, let me start by saying:
- I greatly respect former Seoul mayor and potential GNP presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak. Although I found some of his “bulldozer” methods questionable, I believe Seoul really did improve substantially under his watch;
- OK, so the Cheonggyecheon ain’t perfect, but at least he got it done, and it’s a marked improvement over what was there before;
But as, well, perplexing his vision to build a canal linking the Nakdong and Han rivers may or may not be, I have no clue what he was thinking—other than fishing for votes in Honam (which I doubt he’ll get)—when he went down to Naju today and pledged to build another 200 km canal linking the Yeongsan and Geum rivers and linking that canal to his proposed Nakdong-Han canal.
Lee was in Europe recently where he met with canal experts in Germany. The former mayor was apparently impressed with the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.
I appreciate the enthusiasm and all, but…
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I also think the canal fixation is a bit strange considering most of the major Korean cities are easily accessible by sea/existing infrastructure.
If he was suggesting small urban canals as leisure spots nationwide it would make more sense.
He was on campus yesterday (Nov 1 at Gwandong University). My students asked to be excused from class to listen to him talk. I gave my permission but only if they learned more about his canals. I may have more to tell next week but if the idea is as unlikely as I feel it is, he will be equally unlikely to ever give details.
You didn’t mention his idea for yet another canal, one to be located up north:
“….In addition to his Kyongbu Canal project, which is aimed at connecting the Han River, flowing through Seoul and the metropolitan area, and the Naktong River near the port city of Pusan, Lee plans to build another one in the Cholla provinces.
“If the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea’s nuclear test on Oct. 9 is resolved, I’ll visit Pyongyang to discuss a plan to build a third one in the northern part of the communist state,” Lee said….”
Not sure what goods such a canal would transport; maybe it would be useful for moving military equipment around at a cost savings.
But for a few pleasure craft I’ve never noticed activity on Korea’s rivers, and haven’t seen the barges common to logistics. They certainly aren’t the important logistic thoroughfares as the Mekong, Yellow, Danube, and the Mississippi Rivers. Strikes me that this is one of those poorly thought out delusions commonly announced after an expensive European
vacationfact-finding mission. Europe is an advanced economy. Europe has canals. To be an advanced economy Korea needs canals. (I’ve yet to see any politician return and announce, “I’ve learned what we ought not to do.”)Or perhaps Mr. Lee’s fixation is due to the fun to be found along some of Amsterdam’s canals.
Cheonggyecheon must have been a “practice canal” for him.
Isn’t the peninsula small enough that existing infrastructure is already good enough to transport stuff? Maybe he was inspired while smoking in an Amersterdam “coffeehouse.”
I’ve heard some of Lee Myung-Bak’s rationale for the canal, and basically it boils down to “There’s not enough land to build more rails and highway, so we ought to look to the rivers for additional transport capacity.” He’s probably right about the squeeze on the current logistical channels, but I’m not convinced the rivers are going to be able to pick up the load.
Maybe we can build a cannal through Dokdo too? That’ll bring much needed revenue to it, and piss off the Japanese.
So they would have to cement the river banks to prevent flooding if they’re linked to the canals, right? Is he looking at “concrete Japan” and the US Army Corps of Engineers for inspiration? Stooopid.
Granted land is tight here, especially in the northwest and east, yet there are also zoning restrictions that ought to be looked at. For example the green belts (agricultural land) that can’t be developed. Korea’s present and future isn’t farming. Industrialize Cholla-do (Chonro-do, if you prefer) and expand the ports of Mokpo and Gunsan. Korea will benefit by reducing the subsidies paid to the farmers, the farmers may get a nice payout, it’ll lessen trade pressures with agricultural-good exporters, and may even help sooth the grudge the Cholladoians (or is it -ites?) feel about years of neglect. Yet, as industrial Korea is moving overseas I wonder whether canals or reformed land policies will attract much attention from the business community–minus engineering and construction firms.
Engineering-and-construction focus as a means to prop up an ailing economy fits with Lee Myung-Bak’s background as a construction man, but it’s eerily reminiscent of the “lost decades” that Japan recently endured while its own industrial base fled to lower-cost destinations.
Building an underground tunnel between Japan and Korea, a la France-England, would be more of a grandiose vision.
That would be a grandiose vision and one I could get behind. But since the benefit of a Korea-Japan tunnel, one which could create a Japan-Europe overland route, would accrue mostly to the benefit of Japan, we may assume no appetite for such tunnel in Korea.
Speaking of grandiose visions here’s my favorite: Let’s Buy Siberia. (Note: other than the pay-to-read LRS site Mead’s 1993 article is nowhere to be found online; had to make do w/ this Boston Globe rehash from 1998.)
After stating, “Looks like the US will buy Siberia,” I passed it around to my Korean colleagues. Their reactions ranged from upset to furious.
I will contribute to it!!
Rev Moon (Unification Church chief, not the anti-American rabblerouser) has promoted a Korea-Japan tunnel idea for years.
Somehow I doubt Japan would welcome Korea’s shockingly reckless motorists onto its crowded but mostly sedate roadways.
Japanse won’t need to worry for a while as these motorists need time to learn how to drive opposite way…nah…They will ride on any condition.
And for sure, Japanse will be so shocked with Korean delivery bikers with red signed “LPG-Liquified petroleum gas” cylinders ride around Shibuya or Shinjuku.
Re: Straits of Tsushima Tunnel: Are you kidding? They actually wait at red lights in Japan. They’d never want Korean motorists.
That said, I’ve caught myself wishing my Tokyo taxi driver would break a few rules to get to Ropponggi or wherever a bit faster.
A continuation of Korea’s KTX thru an underwater tunnel to Tsushima and then to Fukuoka, linked to Japan’s excellent rail-system would be a GREAT idea — would greatly increase mutual visitors! And someday offer London Tokyo Singapore service, what a dream…
And if it included high-speed freight capability on a seperate track, so much the better! A great economic stimulant for all… China & Russia would highly benefit too…
I suspect much of the traffic would be one way, Middle-aged women crazy for Bae Yong Joon, would finally find a cheaper way to cure their obsession.
I think all this is to say that Lee Myung-bak’s ideas illicits a big “WTF?” since they seem to have little basis in practicality. I imagine this guy would consider replacing the DMZ with one, long canal so that it would take less time to sail from Shanghai to Yokohoma.
I also remember that Lee Myung-bak wanted to build a new opera house in the middle of the Han River, on one of the little islets there. This idea he got after visiting Stockholm, if I remember correctly. If only this “canal genius” would only focus on making the city cleaner by putting a halt to banners and taped-fliers and otherwise illegal advertising, then he would have more credibility as a problem-solver.