 A preparation work for the construction of the Geyongin canal gets underway in Gulpo-cheon, Incheon, in mid-February. The canal construction will resume in late March. / Korea Times |
South Korea will resume construction of the Gyeongin canal this month after five years of suspension due to opposition from environmentalists.
The construction of the 18-kilometer waterway linking the Han River and the Yellow Sea will begin in late March and its completion is set for 2011, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said Monday.
Work on the canal began in 200l but tough opposition from environmental groups and doubts over its economic viability 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 presidential campaign.
The state-funded Korea Development Institute supports 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 virtually run along 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 cargoes than trucks and are not hindered by traffic. The ministry also claims the canal will become a tourist attraction.
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