This article is about “the Grand Korean Waterway” which is one of Korean president’s promises. “The grand Korean Waterway” is the biggest construction project ever in Korean history. This project has been a big controversy due to obvious potential environmental damage. Basically what this project does is expand the river’s size and dig it dipper so that big cargo ships can go through.
Some critics say it is not necessary because Korea is a tiny peninsula country. Korea is surrounded by sea and the distance between Seoul and Busan, which is the canal’s planned way, is only about 450km.
Putting aside the fact that the presidents’ family own huge property along the canal way, there is a huge environmental issues over this project. The Han River is a good illustration of how we can destroy nature with political will. The Han River, which used to be a healthy, diverse ecosystem, was totally destroyed after a big construction project to dig it deeper and widen it with a cement river bank.
Even though there have been so many small and big protests against the project it continues; the construction has even accelerated. It seems like the president wants to finish this historically gigantic controversial project within his presidential term.
It shows the worst example of the political will can affect the environment in a bad way, especially when it’s related to certain people’s profit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7202161.stm
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