Posted May. 14, 2002 08:53,
Plan for building national highway that connects main islands of Shinan-gun, front sea of Mokpo via Sea Bridge with a budget of 2 trillion won causes suspicion from the plan itself.
It doesn`t seem to be economic viable and moreover, Shinan-gun is the very hometown of President Kim Dae Jung.
If the plan is formed considering hometown of President, it is too absurd.
This road which was confirmed as national highway in last August, starts from Mokpo and goes through Ha-ui island, where President Kim was born, and total length is 78 kms including 20 sea bridges with expenditure of 1 trillion 860 billion won.
Korea Research institute For Human Settlements will decide priority for constructing the highway till this autumn after receiving order from Ministry of Construction and Transportation (MCT) and in case of confirmation; construction will start from year 2006.
MCT explains it is compatible to the standard of building National highway like balanced regional development and consideration of isolated place from boulevard, however, local inhabitants who would gain through this construction are only 32,000 people.
Therefore, it is suspected if MCT conducted investigation properly.
It is like investing 60 million won per one person.
Han Hwa-kap who is representative of MDP and district member, stated that they plan to develop the region as tour leisure town, however, if we see the situation that government builds up national necessary facilities like new airport express through private companies due to lack of budget, it is hard to avoid criticism that it is excessive investment.
The explanation of MCT that there is no problem as the period or scale of construction is not confirmed is also not rational enough.
If it were so, what is the reason for planning road for which there is no urgent need?
Did MCT show the plan in order to flatter the ruling party or local inhabitants?
Government should disclose the procedure how the plan was formed and promoted.
There is rumor from the past that `budget for construction used to be arranged for a particular region especially`.
If this suspicion is not solved out clearly, current government will be remembered as aggravating regionalism instead of eliminating it.