PM Kim: River Project Not Related to Grand Canal

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik denied speculation Monday that the four-river restoration project has something to do with building a cross-country canal.

At a question-and-answer session on the government over political matters, Kim said, “The government has no plans to push ahead with the canal project, and President (Lee Myung-bak) has also said so a number of times.”

President Lee had proposed building a cross-country canal early in his term, but nixed the plan in the wake of public opposition.

Kim was responding to a question from ruling Grand National Party Rep. Cho Jin-hyung, who said, “Do you consider it a political attack that opposition parties and certain civic groups are calling the four-river restoration project the grand canal project in disguise?”

Kim said, “It is improper to call the four-river restoration project a grand canal project,” adding, “The water has to have a depth of more than 6 meters in the four rivers to build a grand canal.

“Yet 6-meter deep areas at the four rivers account for just 26 percent, and those areas in the disputed Nakdong River take up just 55 percent,” he said. “We have to connect the Han and Nakdong rivers to build a grand canal, but the government has no such plans (for the four-river project) whatsoever.”

surono@donga.com