Is Lotte Skyscraper Tower of Babel?

By Kim Tong-hyung

Staff Reporter

At a time when others are subtracting, the Lotte Group seems intent on building up.

The economic turmoil has businesses all around shedding payrolls, trimming operations and lowering expectations, but this hasn't affected Lotte's zeal to expand its corporate empire, as evidenced by its recent takeover of Doosan Group's liquor unit and major leisure projects in Busan and Jeju Island.

The conglomerate also expects no further interruption in its quest to build one of Asia's tallest buildings, a plan that seems to have the full-backing of the Lee Myung-bak government, despite a decade of debate over flight safety.

Following a meeting at the Primer Minister's Office last month, the government all but