First of all, let me introduce myself. I am a Korean who has spent his childhood(12 years) in Kuwait. During my time in Kuwait, I went to an American School and since there weren’t many Korean kids in our school, most of my friends were American, European, and Arab. As a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, we were evacuated to Korea. After returning here, I finished my high school here(not a good experience), went to college, military service and am now working in the IT Department of a major chaebol construction firm.
For my first post, I would like to share with you a story regarding the Samsung Road in Suwon. The Kyonggi Govt. wanting to improve the business condition of Samsung, where it has a huge presence, has decided to widen the road that runs through an area where the Samsung facilites are located, from the current four lanes to six/eight lanes by 2010. On the outside nothing much but not so according to MBC News.
There are suspicions that in exchange for Samsung covering part of the cost for the expansion(47.5 billion won out of 110 billion won), Samsung was allowed to design and plan the road expansion. (Samsung is denying any involvement in the planning process.) The result; a Z shaped road(see diagram below) that “avoids” the Samsung owned properties lining the road while overrunning existing residential and business areas that are also lining the road. For reference, the original four lane road is a straight road as can be seen in the photo below. This means the people residing in those areas or businesses will have to move on to somewhere else. No word on compensation for the people that are to move.
A civil engineering project gone wrong or a chaebol calling the shots for the local government? You decide.
11 Comments
The arrogance of Samsung, a foreign-owned company!
Welcome to Marmot’s, a cesspool of whiny ex-pat outrage
Wow, that explains a few things. I’ve come across similar z-shaped roads and intersections in Korea and I’ve always wondered how someone could make such a simple error. It never occurred to me that it might have been intentional.
That does explain things.
Welcome on board.
Very interesting…although not all that surprising considering the bizarre and indecipherable relationship between the chaebol and the government.
Welcome.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a conspiracy. This is, after all, a very crowded place.
City of Suwon may simply have done a “balancing test” between the supposed economic value of the Samsung properties and the others that were sacrificed to make way for the road. In the photo, it appears the Samsung facilities are right up to the roadway, which means to take some of the Samsung land would necessitate evacuation of those buildings (just like the residences and small businesses making way) and suspension of operations while new major facilities are constructed. Suwon may have decided it could afford to lose Mom ‘n Pop’s store for a few months but not to shut the Samsung factory.
I don’t believe for a minute, however, that with almost 50 billion won at stake to share the cost of construction Samsung would have been completely “hands-off” in the planning process. That beggars the imagination.
About time!
Nice straight inflammable post.
Keep it up bud.
face the facts, all development is a god damn conspiracy. here and in the so-called developed world. what’s the big deal?
this reminds me of that Letterman skit: “is this anything”
Answer in this case: no.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a conspiracy. This is, after all, a very crowded place.”
Yes, good point…Thanks for the alternative explanation these engineering quirks that I may have mistaken for being errors.
‘to these’
#6 dlatn said:
“Nice straight inflammable post.”
You DO know what inflammable means, right?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wiAPsh9RGKc
Man, why aren’t my posts showing?