By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A group of professors from Seoul National University (SNU) pledged Monday they will launch an organized campaign against President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s cross-country canal project, by forming networks with other universities.
``We will first gather SNU professors opposing the canal project and invite professors from other universities as well. Many professors have already agreed to participate in the campaign,’’ said Kim Jeong-wook of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies.
Through the campaign, the professors will publicize problems and possible damage the project could cause, he added.
As an initial step, the professors will hold a forum Thursday, to shed light on negative side effects of the so-called Great Canal Project.
During the forum, Prof. Kim will make a presentation on the urgency of scrapping the project. Yoon Je-yong, engineering professor at the school, will emphasize pollution and other environmental problems it could cause.
Among other professors joining the protest are Hong Jong-ho, an economics professor of Hangyang University and Park Chang-guen, an engineering professor of Kwangdong University.
``The project requires a huge amount of money and it should not be carried out blindly. We will invite more experts from every field and verify the problems of the project from diverse angles,’’ said Cho Heung-sik, an SNU professor of the College of Social Sciences.
President-elect Lee pledged to build the canal, which will cross the entire peninsula, from Busan to Seoul, making possible inland water transportation. While Lee estimated the cost of the project at $16 billion, critics say the figure would be closer to $50 billion.