Yellow Sea Region Infrastructure Spending and Land-Use/Pricing News

This is only a partial list of articles related to recent economic-stimulus plans, land use, and land prices in the countries bordering the Yellow Sea. Feel free to pass along articles relevant to this archive list to james.hadley@factplusfancy.com.

2008 and Prior Year Archive

China Daily, 2008.12.31 10:46, "China strengthens land management to boost domestic demand" (Xinhua), http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-12/31/content_7356909.htm.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.30, "River projects get under way as ground is broken: Critics say environment impact not adequately considered by planners" by Kim Young-hoon and Song Yee-ho, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2899208.

Korea Times, The, 2008.12.26 19:25, "Songdo International School Struggles to Recruit Students" by Kang Shin-who, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/12/117_36824.html.

China Daily, 2008.12.24 07:38, "Guangdong looks to reclaim land" by Zhan Lisheng, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-12/24/content_7334564.htm.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.23, "Land Ministry set to spend in 2009" by Lee Ho-jeong, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898957.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.23, "'New deal' gets a green face-lift", (Yonhap),http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898953.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.22, "Former bombing range to be given a major overhaul: Kooni Range to be transformed into a peace-themed seaside park by 2013" by Chung Young-jin, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898910.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.17, "Red tape is cut to help pump funds into system" by Ser Myo-ja, p. 1, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898690.
[Selected quote...] In an effort to stimulate the economy, the Lee Myung-bak administration has decided to give administrative authority to public servants to sidestep bureaucratic red tape in order to quickly spend state funds. Except in cases involving corruption, the cabinet endorsed the plan to exempt public servants from liability for violating regulations or administrative procedures.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.17, "Stop equivocating" editorial, p. 3, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898653.

China Daily, 2008.12.16 20:45, "China approves first inland bonded area" (Xinhua), http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/16/content_7311361.htm.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.16, "Digging in" photo caption, p. 1, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898640.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.16, "Critics say river project is canal plan in disguise", by Lee Ho-jeong, p. 3, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898631.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.12.16, "$73 billion in gov't funds pegged for rural economy: Tax incentives to be used to lure firms to the provinces" by Lee Ho-jeong, p. 1, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898646.
[Selected quote...] Park Hee-tae, leader of the ruling Grand National Party [...] said this was not the time to argue the pros and cons of projects as the country is in a state of emergency. He added that the speed of policies will determine the effect on the economy.

Building Design, 2008.11.28, "The Architecture Research Unit's islands of possibility" by Ellis Woodman, http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/the-architecture-research-unit%E2%80%99s-islands-of-possibility-(video)/3128496.article.

China Daily, 2008.11.25 07:16, "Nationwide inspections target fund misuse" by Zhu Zhe, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/25/content_7236691.htm.
[Selected quote... inspectors are targeting] Projects built for 'image or achievement' that waste money and manpower [and] Projects that have not gone through proper examination and approval procedures.

Reuters, 2008.11.23 8:25pm EST, "South Korea builds city from sea at wetland's expense" by Jon Herskovitz, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4AN04M20081124?sp=true.

Environmental Science and Technology, October 22, 2008 (Web), "Can wetland restoration cool the planet?" by Janet Pelley,42 (24), page 8994, DOI: 10.1021/es802790q, http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/asap/html/es802790q.html.

Korea Times, The, 2008.11.02 17:20, "'It's Not Too Late to Revive Saemangeum'" by Park Si-soo, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/02/250_33724.html.

Korea Times, The, 2008.10.30 19:11, "'Saemangeum Project Threatens Endangered Species'" by Park Si-soo, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/include/print.asp?newsIdx=33593.

Korea Times, The, 2008.10.08 19:17, "Songdo Outside Bursting Bubble" by Jane Han, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/11/123_32385.html.

Environmental Protection, 2008.10.07, "MIT Team to Design South Korean Landfill Space", http://www.eponline.com/articles/68231/.

Korea Times, The, 2008.09.26 17:57, "Saemangeum Reclamation Project" opinion by Kwon Yule-jung, Director of Daejeon Patriots and Veterans Office, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/10/162_31727.html
[Selected quote] Recently I have been to the site of the Saemangeum reclamation with other chiefs of public organizations. The special event was organized by Korea Rural Community Corp. The corporation has been in charge of the massive project for the past two decades. This project is the largest since our country was founded. It boasts, among other things, a 290-meter-long embankment separating the proposed reclamation site from the sea. At first we were briefed on the chronological processes of the mega project at the public relations office. One senior staff member and his boss enthusiastically explained the project in detail to us with firm commitment and confidence. Their dedication to their assigned duties deserves to be fully praised. Over the past 20 years, the project was sometimes in turmoil in the wake of the so-called environmentalists' demand for unconditional and immediate termination of its construction. Their irrational insistence began in 1999 when the 33-kilometer-long section of embankment was nearly completed. I was shocked to know that their exorbitant request was not based on one bit of rational judgment. At the time of their initial presentation of many problems, which they said would cause environmental damage, less than four kilometers were left unfinished for the full connection of the levee. Staff of the corporation had no other option but to defend their decision against the extremists. Meanwhile the project was at a standstill, as even two former presidents ordered it to come to a halt for no specific reasons only to bow down to volatile public opinion. The construction resumed after the Supreme Court rejected the militant environmental groups' ridiculous tirades and upheld the corporation's ongoing business. Economic and social losses following the suspension of work combined with two time lapses amounted to billions of dollars. Even the negative effect on the environment is almost negligible. The mud flats harmed in the course of development are also reviving quickly enough. None of those environmentalists involved in prevention of the gigantic project showed any kind of remorse or even less responsibility for such huge damage to the nation. Those invited to the construction site were taken to the viewing stand around huge locks, the largest of their size and most up to date in technology, to control tidal flows. We were also lucky to look at the control center of machines situated in the basement, which adjust the height of the locks. Even Dutch engineers recognized as the top experts in the fields of locks and reclamation were amazed and envious of Korea's state-of-the-art technology and craftsmanship. It is very natural that engineers from Third World countries were desperate to learn how to develop such high technology. As a result, the corporation's engineers were invited to countries mainly in Africa and Asia. While they were teaching some expertise on reclamation to their counterparts from these countries, they felt proud of Korea's identity and high level of technological progress. In that sense, they deserve to be called the genuine patriots. Our country is in the process of maturing to a full democracy. It may take some years, or decades, to reach fruition. Many opposition and dissident groups spruced up just after military dictatorship gave way to civilian governments. Still, many individuals and organizations are addicted only to their own unilateral arguments, not taking different viewpoints into consideration.

Hankyoreh, The, 2008.09.18 13:46, "New Saemangeum land development could produce excess pollution and expense: If land is developed into industrial zone, rather than farm land as originally proposed, area could see 2-3 times more pollution", http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/310875.html.

Korea Times, The, 2008.09.11 19:10 (2008.09.12 print edition, p. 20), "Songdo: A Mega City Redefining 'Green'" by Jane Han, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/12/123_30964.html.
[Selected quote, the first three paragraphs...] Built on mudflats along the Yellow Sea at Incheon, the $35 billion New Songdo City, the largest private real estate venture in history, is awe-inspiring for its size alone. But what's more amazing is that the entire city, as big as Boston, will be constructed on green technology. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit group promoting sustainable building practice, has named the 1,500-acre [6 square kilometers] development 35 miles [56 km] southwest of Seoul a LEED-ND pilot program. LEED-ND stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development, and it is a green buildings rating and certification system.

China Daily, 2008.09.10 06:59, "Authorities take new move to protect farmland", by Wu Jiao, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/10/content_7013541.htm
[Selected quote] Developers who obtain arable land will have to reclaim an area of equal size to get approval for building on their acquisitions, land authorities said Tuesday.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.09.05, "Plan drafted for Saemangeum" by Lee Ho-jeong and Kwon Hyuk-joo, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2894548.

JoongAng Daily, 2008.09.04, "A Seoul-Incheon canal finds new life" by Limb Jae-un, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2894496.

Boston Globe, The, 2008.09.01, "Sea change in South Korea: A team from MIT may help turn a bay into 155 square miles of new land" by Tom Vandyck, http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2008/09/01/sea_change_in_south_korea/.
[Selected quote] Tehrani and D'Hooghe planned for new wetlands to restore some of the ecological damage inflicted when the seawall shut down much of the tidal forces in the estuary. "Ideally, you would restore the tides by opening up the seawall again, but that is not feasible politically," D'Hooghe said. "Luckily, some of the tidal effects have been preserved, because the seawall does have tidal gates that can be opened. The fact is, creating wetlands with working ecosystems can be done, but it will take many years."

chinadialog, 2008.08.28, "China's evaporating wetlands" by Jiang Gaoming, http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2346-China-s-evaporating-wetlands.

China Daily, 2008.06.25 07:55, "Marine economy surging in Qingdao" by Zhao Ruixue, Special Supplement, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2008-06/25/content_6792473.htm.
[Selected quote...] Zhang Yuanfu, vice-mayor of Qingdao, [...] predicted that total revenues from marine economy - including fishing, aquatic cultivation, offshore oil, shipping, shipbuilding and marine environmental protection - will reach 127 billion yuan this year.

Korea Times, The, 2008.06.11 17:34, "Regulations Cramp Songdo Development" by Jane Han, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/06/123_25713.html.

Korea Times, The, 2008.04.23, "North Korea's Literary Theory" editorial by Choi Yearn-hong, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2010/05/246_22987.html.
[Selected quote] North Korean writers have never written about shortages [...] of food. They produce many short stories on land reclamation projects and the scientific production of food. [...] In the first four years of the 1990s, North Korean literature pursued seemingly conflicting goals: xenophobic nationalism, worshipping Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jung-sook, the elder Kim's first wife and the younger Kim's mother; and anti-U.S. imperialism, scientific and technological advancements, economic development, food production by making land reclamation projects to expand farm land and crop diversification. North Korean literature reflected what North Korea lacked: internationalism, advanced science and technology, food, new leadership, and stability.

China Daily, 2008.04.07 09:08, "Macao's land reclamation to improve living conditions", Xinhua, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-04/07/content_6595301.htm.

Xinhua, 2008.04.06 22:48, "Local lawmakers: Macao's land reclamation projects to improve living conditions", http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/06/content_7930237.htm.

China Daily, 2008.03.20 07:35, "Qingdao embracing more of Jiaozhou Bay" by Zhao Ruixue, p. 24, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2008-03/20/content_6551029.htm.
[Selected quote...] Studies by the Qingdao Municipal Development and Reform Commission show that more than 400 sq km - now mostly covered by shallow sea, wetlands and saline marshes - can be reclaimed and developed. Plans call for an eco-coastline along the bay with seven development zones for different business sectors, including conferences and exhibitions in Hongdao, logistics in Huangdao and sites for company headquarters in Sifang and Licang districts.

chinadialog, 2008.03.11, "Land reclamation: tread carefully" by Jiang Gaoming, http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/1792.

Korea Times, The, 2008.02.24 19:33, "[Saemangeum Project] Dreaming of 'Koreanized Dubai' in Saemangeum" by Jane Han, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/special_view.asp?newsIdx=19534&categoryCode=240.

Korea Times, The, 2008.02.24 18:46, "[Incheon FEZ] Incheon FEZ Wants More Help From New Gov't" by Lee Hyo-sik, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/12/240_19522.html.

Korea Times, The, 2008.01.24 17:33, "Daewoo Founder to Work for Saemangeum Project" by Kim Yoo-chul, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/biz_view.asp?newsIdx=17887&categoryCode=123.

Dong-A Ilbo, The, 2008.01.22 07:17, "Lee Approves Leisure Complex in Saemangeum", http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=020000&biid=2008012230948.

Korea Times, The, "Branding Korea" [index of articles], http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/special_list.asp?categoryCode=260.

New York Times, The, 2007.12.30, "An Asian Hub in the Making [New Songdo City]" by Amy Cortes, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/realestate/commercial/30sqft.html?_r=1.

National Geographic News, 2007.09.14, "Alaska Bird Makes Longest Nonstop Flight Ever Measured" by Dave Hansford, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070913-longest-flight.html.
[Selected quote] Some 70,000 [bar-tailed] godwits make the epic journey from their northern summer breeding grounds in Alaska down to New Zealand each September, before flying all the way back the following March. [...] Despite the birds' hearty endurance, [Rob Schuckard, a team leader at the Ornithological Society of New Zealand] fears for the godwits. The number of birds successfully reaching New Zealand each year has fallen sharply, he said, from around 155,000 in the mid-1990s to just 70,000 today. "Something is seriously wrong," he said. He suspects that widespread development along the Yellow Sea, which sits between China and North and South Korea, is depriving the birds of vital food sources, as mudflats and wetlands there are drained. At one such site, the Saemangeum wetlands of South Korea, recognized as a crucial staging site for waders, a 20.5-mile (33-kilometer) seawall built last year has drained 154 square miles (400 square kilometres) of tidal flats. "That's equal to the entire New Zealand estuarine habitat [where rivers meet the sea]," Schuckard said.

IPS News, 2007.06.07, "CLIMATE CHANGE: Shanghai Under Siege" by Antoaneta Bezlova, http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=38072.
[Selected quote] [Shanghai] claims roughly 3,000 hectares of land from the sea every year. Reclaimed land is now such a feature of Shanghai daily life that few people now pause to think about natural boundaries. Some of the city's impressive new landmarks like its futuristic airport in the financial district of Pudong are all built on reclaimed land. What is more, the city leaders are contemplating creating a brand new eco-city on the marshy land of Shanghai's Chongming island - itself a land reclaimed from the sea some years ago.

Xinhua, 2007.03.03 21:57, "China hikes charges on reclaiming land from the sea", http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/03/content_5797185.htm.
[Selected quote] A new policy that came into effect from Thursday sets the minimum charge for filling sea areas at 300,000 yuan (37,500 U.S. dollars) per hectare and a maximum of 1.95 million yuan per hectare, the Beijing-based People's Daily quoted sources with the ministries as saying. The fees are the highest among all kinds of charges on using sea areas specified in the new rules and must be paid at one time, said the sources. The previous regulation had required a minimum 1,500 yuan charge per year for each hectare of marine area occupied since 1993.

China Daily, 2007.01.13 07:47, "Sea waters 'heavily polluted'", by Wu Jiao, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/13/content_782675.htm
[Selected quote] Jiang Zhenghua, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, warned on Thursday that the reclamation of land had also harmed aquatic resources and intensified sea disasters.

Washington Post, 1998.11.22, "Yangtze Flood Jolts China's Land Policies" by John Pomfret, p. A31, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/china/stories/enviro112298.htm.

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK, 1998.07.10, "Coastline reshaped", http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1998/9807/news07/10.htm#8. [WARNING - we've been told that accessing this website from some institutions or locations (such as South Korea) triggers National Police Agency forbidden-site warnings and possibly other consequences from your institution's IT department. Cut and paste the above link into your web browser to proceed.]
[Complete news release] Pyongyang, July 10 (KCNA) -- More than 26,600 hectares have been reclaimed from the sea on the western coast and are now ready for agriculture. This was the result of a nationwide win-soil-from-the-sea campaign launched a decade ago to gain additional agricultural land. From Pidan island at the northwestern tip of Korea at the mouth of Amnok River to the middle of west coast Rimhan-ri of Phanmun county sea walls have been erected to bring tidal flats into active agricultural use and thus create new highly intensive granaries. More than 100 islands and islets have been linked with the mainland to reduce the length of coastline by more than 500 kilometres, thus pushing the coastline 12 kilometres offshore. In the newly-reclaimed land, dozens of reservoirs and many salterns, fish-culture ponds and chemical-fibre producing centres, as well as the state and cooperative farms and workteams, have come into being. The drive to reclaim tidal flats, initiated by the DPRK government and the Workers' Party of Korea, reached a high-water mark in the 1980s. More and more sea walls were erected to link one peninsula with another and islands with the mainland. To take a few examples, a dozens-of-kilometre-long dike connecting the Tasa islet in Yomju county and Rihwa-ri, Cholsan county to create a new granary of 8,800 hectares, Taegye islet, 68-km long dikes across the sea off Haeju connecting Kumhak, Chongdan county and Ryongmae islet to create new areas of agricultural use covering 2,500 hectares, 5,200 hectares in Kangryong, 3,300 hectares in Kumsong, 3,200 hectares in Unryul, 2,600 hectares in Kwaksan and 1,000 hectares in Chongsu islet. The lands thus won from the sea are equivalent to the total arable land of five counties.