Skyscraper Project Landmark of Smart Power

This is the third in a series of articles experts recommend to the Korean government on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Lee Myung-bak administration, which falls on Feb. 25.

By Hyun-Doo Park

Many skyscrapers are often regarded as landmarks symbolizing dynamics of the nation's strength. These artifacts are often considered icons of tourism reflecting the country's economic power. Malaysia's Patronas Twin Towers and Taipei 101 come to mind.

Park Hyun-doo

In this respect, Koreans may have a sense of envy or even humiliation due to the fact that South Korea, which has become one of the most 'sparkling' industrialized and democratic countries in the world in the 60 years since the founding of the nation in 1948, lacks a monumental national landmark that can contribute to upgrading its national brand to the world, with the 63 Building in Yeouido having been built more than a quarter of a century ago.

In many respects, it is indeed awkward and even ironic for Korea not to be able to demonstrate its capability of constructing super high-rise buildings. Most outstanding skyscrapers abroad have been built with Korean construction technology in the last two decades due to local problems that confine domestic abilities through a regulated system and uncontrollable public opinion over the issue of building skyscrapers in urban spaces.

As in the case of the second Lotte World super high-rise building project, the outstanding subject here is conflicting public views involving national security and economic issues.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) Air Force has been strongly opposing the Lotte plan, arguing that the construction of the skyscraper could lead to a potential ``air disaster,'' as the building site is too close to its Seoul (Seongnam) airbase, which accommodates a number of reconnaissance planes, helicopters and transport aircraft for collecting, analyzing and supplying intelligence on North Korea's military activities near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

More specifically, the Air Force is concerned that the height of the new Lotte skyscraper is 550 meters, which is beyond the instrumental flight safety zone of 203 meters.

However, Lotte insists that the Air Force's worries are exaggerated. Lotte claimed its new building is located outside of the flight safety zone guaranteed by current local law. Lotte's point of view is that its newly-built super tower will help enhance the competitiveness of the country's tourism industry. By building it, Lotte expects the number of tourists in Korea to increase by two million, from 1.5 million foreign visitors annually, through which foreign exchange earnings can be expected to reach at least $200 million per year.

In the midst of the current economic recession, it's important to note that Lotte is a pump primer that plans to invest almost $1.5 billion, beginning this year, by employing a total of 2.5 million workers to construct the 112-story trophy tower building right next to the Lotte World amusement complex in Seoul's most thriving area.

Lotte will also develop the entertainment complex into a versatile, mega project, featuring a first-class hotel, department store, cinema, theme parks, concert hall and specialty stores, typical of conspicuous national landmark buildings, which is to be classified as part of the so called, "Green New Deal," which should be implemented to help boost the currently stagnated national economy.

According to Professor Joseph Nye, a nation's strength is composed of its security capability (hard power) in combination with its economic strength (soft power). In other words, national power is, after all, the smart power that embraces the hard and soft power of a nation, which is a culmination of public consensus towards common public objectives.

In this respect, smart power is the paradigm shift of biased public opinion toward balanced views in making win-win situations in security and economic issues and aimed at increasing national strength. From this perspective, the newly planned Lotte skyscraper project must be realized in terms of reflecting the smart power of the most sparkling country in the world, the Republic of Korea.

The author is president of the Global Management Institute in Seoul. He can be reached at gmikorea@empal.com

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