Gov't to resume construction of Gyeongin waterway in late March: officials

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will resume construction
of the Gyeongin canal this month, five years after it was suspended in the face
of stiff opposition from environmentalists, officials said Monday.

The construction of the 18-kilometer waterway linking the Han River and the
Yellow Sea will resume in late March, with the aim of completing it by 2011,
according to officials at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
No fixed date was given.
Work on the canal started in 200l but fierce opposition and doubts over its
economic feasibility forced the government to suspend it in 2003. Local
environmentalists claim the project could wreak havoc on the surrounding eco
system.
The project, however, regained its momentum after President Lee Myung-bak took
office earlier last year. Lee had pledged to resume work on the canal during his
campaign.
In January this year, the state-run think tank Korea Development Institute
expressed its support for the canal's construction, saying it is economically
feasible. Some civic groups and environmentalists see that judgment as
untrustworthy.
At present, a 3.8-kilometer section of the canal remains to be dug near the Han
River. It will run roughly parallel to the Incheon International Airport
Expressway, the western gateway to Seoul.
The canal is expected to help reduce overall transportation costs as ships can
carry more cargo than trucks and are not hindered by traffic. The ministry also
claims the canal will become a tourist attraction.
The remaining construction will also spur around 3 trillion won (US$2 billion) in
production and create 25,000 jobs, according to the ministry's earlier estimate.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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