Lee vows massive infrastructure projects in provincial areas

(ATTN: UPDATES with provincial development plans in last three paras; CHANGES spelling to Nakdong in para 4)
By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Dec. 15 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that his government is planning to interlink all roads and railways across the nation and intensively implement other infrastructure expansion projects outside the Seoul metropolitan areas, as part of its economy-boosting measures.
Lee also instructed his Cabinet to immediately embark on projects to refurbish
the basin areas of the nation's four major rivers to drastically upgrade
business, cultural and tourism infrastructures of the provincial areas.
Lee's remarks made during a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Balanced
National Development triggered speculation that the government is seeking to
revive the president-proposed inland waterway project, which has been put on hold
in the face of stubborn objection from opposition parties and environmental
activists.
Over the weekend, the National Assembly controlled by the ruling Grand National
Party approved a budget of 1.3 trillion won (US$970 million) for the
redevelopment of the nation's four major rivers -- Nakdong, Han, Geum and
Yeongsan -- next year, which is widely seen as a preparatory work for the
controversial inland canal project.
"We have to promote the concept of a singularized national land by removing
barriers between Seoul and provincial areas... The government has a plan to
connect all railroads and roads nationwide with one another, paving the ground
for balanced development of the entire nation," said Lee.
"About 22,000 Korean companies have relocated their operations abroad so far,
whereas only 1,500 firms have moved from the capital area to provincial regions.
My government will drastically improve business environment in provincial areas
to address the structural problems," he said.
The president then stressed that the planned refurbishment of the four major
rivers and their basin areas is designed to improve business, cultural and
sightseeing infrastructures in the provincial areas.
He instructed the construction ministry to allow the participation of as many
small and medium-sized companies as possible in the upcoming river redevelopment
projects, and take extraordinary measures to eliminate relevant administrative
red tape.
Following the balanced development meeting, meanwhile, the government announced a
plan to spend a total of 100 trillion won over the next five years on
revitalizing the provincial economy, developing the basin areas of the four major
rivers and improving livelihoods of provincial residents.
The government also offered tax benefits for business entities moving from the
Seoul metropolitan area to provincial regions and promised to implement targeted
development projects in coastal and border areas.
Specific development plans include the connection of the trans-Korean railway
with trans-Chinese and trans-Siberian rail networks and the promotion of
international cooperation and exchanges between Korean coastal areas and their
neighboring regions in Japan and China.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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