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

This list includes news about land use, related infrastructure investments, coastal conservation, real-estate prices, and associated values in the countries bordering the Yellow Sea, as well as relevant articles from elsewhere. This list is neither complete nor up to date. However, the most-recent version will be posted indefinitely at this web address. Feel free to pass along relevant articles to james.hadley@factplusfancy.com.

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2011 Archive

China Daily, 2011.12.28 07:57, "Stringent measures to protect Bohai Bay" by Wang Qian, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/china/2011-12/28/content_14338280.htm
[Selected quote] Liu Cigui, director of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), said the administration will cooperate with Liaoning, Hebei and Shandong provinces and Tianjin municipality, which surround the bay, to enhance management of offshore oil platforms and waste discharges. [...] Sun Baocun, marine professor from Tianjin University, applauded the "delayed" protection measures for Bohai Bay's environment. Sun, also a deputy to the National People's Congress, has proposed a specific law on the bay's management to protect the fragile biosystem. Sun warned that China's offshore development is happening too quickly, and it ignores the marine capacity for human activities, especially offshore oil and gas exploration land reclamation from the sea.

Deutsche Welle, 2011.12.27, "UK groups scramble to save two endangered bird species" by Nik Martin, http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15624105,00.html
[Selected quote] The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a small wader which has a sprawling natural habitat - breeding in Siberia and wintering in south-east Asia. But the world might soon be without the Eurynorhynchus pygmeus if a mission undertaken by a several of conservation groups fails. The bird's numbers have declined by more than 90 percent over the last decade and experts believe there are less than 100 breeding pairs left in the wild. It is classified as critically endangered and could become extinct in ten to twenty years. The population of Spoon-billed Sandpipers, which winters around the Bay of Martaban off the coast of Myanmar, has fallen victim to large-scale trapping by poor local communities, which hunt the birds for food. The birds lost an important staging point of their epic 8,000-kilometer annual migration when the intertidal mud flats at Saemangeum, South Korea, were drained.

Korea Herald, The, 2011.12.23 20:03, "Lee explores theme of utopia" [book review of Your Paradise (Yi Ch'ongjun (Lee Cheong-jun), 1976) translated by Jennifer Lee and Timothy Tangherlini (2004, Los Angeles: Green Integer)], http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111223000639
[Selected quote] Lee’s 1976 novel "Your Paradise" is a moving allegory about utopia which takes place on Korea's real-life leper colony island Sorok-do. Located near Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the island has been home to people with Hansen's disease since the 1910s. [...] Lee's novel takes place in the 1970s, when Korea was going through rapid industrialization under President Park Chung-hee's authoritarian regime. The book starts as its protagonist, Col. Cho Paegon, arrives on the island as its new director. He has a series of ambitious plans for the island, including a soccer team and a vast land reclamation project. The new director promises the locals, many of whom are distressed by their lengthy alienation from the rest of the world, that he will turn the island into a "paradise." But many residents are reluctant. When the director tries to persuade them of the merits of the land reclamation project, which will connect the island to the mainland once completed, the local leaders request one thing of Cho: that he won't make a statue of himself in honor of his own accomplishment. That's what the island's former director had done, focusing on bringing glory to himself while exploiting the labor of the locals to build parks and charnel houses. The novel examines whether the pursuit of happiness or "utopia" can be forced by authority. It takes time for the ambitious Cho to realize that the ideal Sorok-do he had envisioned is in fact very different from the one that the locals want.

Korea Herald, The, 2011.12.21 19:54, "Korea to expand incentives to draw foreign education institutions" by Lee Woo-young, http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111221000830
[Selected quote] According to the government initiative, review processes for foreign institutions which wish to establish their branches here will be simplified and shortened. Government subsidies to foreign institutions are also expected to increase from the current 9.2 billion won ($8.4 million) given for five years at maximum and provide the same amount of funds to all institutions. It will first focus on six free economic zones including Incheon Free Economic Zone, which has attracted a few foreign universities to Songdo aimed for becoming an educational hub in Northeast Asia, they said. Singapore offers free rent for university sites as well as research fund plus $100 million incentives to foreign institutions. China also offers free rent for university sites as well as money for construction, according to officials.

Focus on Travel News, 2011.12.21 15:43, "Best Western Breaks Ground on Newest Hotel in South Korea" by Ozgur Tore, http://ftnnews.com/accommodation/15008-best-western-breaks-ground-on-newest-hotel-in-south-korea.html
[Selected quote] Best Western International has broken ground on a new hotel in the city of Gunsan in South Korea. [...] The hotel itself will be connected to the city convention centre. The hotel is ideally surrounded by major companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industry, Doosan Infracore and General Motors. Gunsan, in North Jeolla Province, has commenced Saemangeum development project which is a national project to build a global city as a frontrunner of green growth. It will create 283 km2 of reclaimed land and a lake as large as 118 km2 by constructing the world's longest 33.9km sea dike connecting Gunsan and Buan on the west coast of Korea. BEST WESTERN Gunsan Hotel in Saemangeum will emerge as an economic hub of Northeast Asia, a location of choice for business, industry, and tourism.

NewDesignWorld Press Center, 2011.12.21, "ADB, PRC Work to Save Internationally Renowned Wetlands" by LucyLu, http://www.newdesignworld.com/press/story/461688
[Selected quote] Two national nature reserves that are part of globally renowned coastal wetlands in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be restored and preserved using a loan of almost $37 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). "Jiangsu province has the third largest area of coastal wetlands by province in the country and they provide a refuge for many rare or endangered species including the red crown crane and milu deer," said Zhang Qingfeng, Lead Water Resources Specialist in ADB's East Asia Department. "Without urgent action to reverse environmental degradation caused by land reclamation, pollution, and other harmful practices, the wetlands in Yancheng would continue to deteriorate and may disappear altogether." Over the past three decades, half of the wildlife habitats in the internationally-recognized ecosystems have vanished, while areas taken up by fishponds and other construction have expanded eight-fold. The project will rehabilitate thousands of hectares of degraded wetlands, as well as two coastal forest farms, which provide ecological protection to the nature reserves. The restoration process includes clearing natural water canals and land contours to allow river flows to return to dried up areas of wetland―the first time this 'rehydration' process has been used on an ADB-assisted project. Other measures include converting fishponds back to wetlands, controlling the spread of invasive species, building waste management facilities, and introducing sustainable forest management practices. Eco-compensation program has been designed to encourage the local agricultural and aquacultural farmers to adopt biodiversity- and wetland-friendly farming practices. Eco-compensation could include cash-based incentives, skills training, and extension services on production, certification, marketing and sales of biodiversity-friendly, organic products. Many of the local beneficiaries are small-holder farmers whose income is among the lowest.

Jakarta Post, The, 2011.12.19 22:00, "The Four Rivers Restoration Project and floods in Jakarta", http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/12/19/the-four-rivers-restoration-project-and-floods-jakarta.html

Korea4Expats.com, 2011.12.14, "My Life in Songdo" by Briana Benson, http://www.korea4expats.com/news-Songdo-Korea.html
[Selected quote] Korea has not only proven itself to be a wonderful and pleasant place to live, but a fabulous land in which to seek out adventures. Surrounded by mountains, ocean and islands, Songdo allows me the opportunity to explore all the beautiful landscapes nearby where I can swim, hike, bike and snowboard. On weekends, I hop in my car and head to gorgeous national parks to explore temples, hike to waterfalls, swim in rivers and just relax in nature.

Engineering News Record, 2011.12.07, "Korea's Songdo IBD is Model for Sustainable, High-Tech Living" by Nadine M. Post, https://enr.construction.com/engineering/subscription/LoginSubscribe.aspx?cid=21551

Chosunilbo, The, 2011.11.30 10:49, "Songdo Offers History Lesson, Taste of Europe", http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/11/30/2011113001205.html

Atlantic Cities, The, 2011.11.29, "The Rise of Seoul" by Christina Ko, http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2011/11/rise-seoul/594/

Forbes.com, 2011.11.23, 18:00, "Raising Pigs, Raising Incomes" by Brian Mertens, http://www.forbes.com/global/2011/1205/feature-businessman-year-raising-pigs-incomes-cp-group-china-farms-mertens.html
[Selected quote] CP will own some of the megafarms in China. The biggest is under way outside Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, on 6,500 acres reclaimed from Hangzhou Bay. CP will initially invest $912 million in the project, which centers on greenhouse farming of vegetables and fruit but also includes poultry and swine farming, rice paddies, an R&D center, agrotourism, biogas electricity generation and even harvesting crocodiles. Produce will supply the nearby cities of Shanghai, Ningbo and Hangzhou. When the complex starts operating in 2016 CP expects it to generate revenue of nearly $800 million a year and a 5% profit. It will have 3,000 employees, 1,800 of them permanent. Cixi City is investing $188 million and has spent nearly $1 billion on land reclamation and infrastructure in the area. "The government believes this project is needed to help keep Cixi people here," says Yang Haiyong, a city official.

Forbes.com, 2011.11.15 13:35, "New Urbanism: Comparing Songdo, South Korea to Belmar, United States of America" by Don Southerton, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaynejung/2011/11/15/new-urbanism-comparing-songdo-south-korea-to-belmar-usa/

China Daily, 2011.11.12 08:37, "$3m bid wins 1st island sale" by Shi Yingying, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-11/12/content_14082220.htm
[Selected quote] "I think 20 million yuan is a reasonable price," said Yang Weihua, general manager of Ningbo Gaobao. "It has rich natural resources, especially in vegetation and seafood, and it's a great spot for sailing on the big, blue sea." She said her company will invest about 500 million yuan into the project [...] Dayangyu Island, which lies off the coast of Ningbo in Zhejiang province, covers 258,000 square meters [... $77.5 per square meter...] It is among the first batch of 176 uninhabited islands made available to domestic and foreign developers by the State Oceanic Administration. "It's just 300 meters off the mainland, meaning the island is more suitable for reclamation if you take into account the cost of infrastructure, such as fresh water, electricity and roads." [said Jin Tengyong at the Xiangshan county ocean and fisheries bureau.] Although the State Oceanic Administration's decision to open Chinese islands to developers stoked excitement, few local governments have so far been able to seal deals. [Posted island plan shows restricted areas for development and a bird sanctuary.]

Wall Street Journal, The, 2011.10.31, "Incheon Airport Chief Has His Feet on the Ground" by Evan Ramstad, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610320537835848.html
[Selected quote] In both Tokyo and Beijing, domestic travelers who need to transfer to international flights must change airports. Japan's mainly domestic Haneda Airport has changed the equation somewhat in the past year by opening a new international terminal with more overseas connections. Even so, Incheon last year hosted 5.2 million transferring passengers, most from Japan and China, representing about 16% of its overall volume of about 33 million. [Is the same true for Korean travelers, needing to transfer from Gimpo to Incheon?]

Economic Observer, The, 2011.10.28 16:14, "The Dying Bohai Sea" by Zhong Ang, http://www.eeo.com.cn/ens/2011/1028/214504.shtml

Hankyoreh, The, 2011.10.20 10:19, "Taxpayers to front $1.3B for Gyeongin Ara Waterway: Experts say the waterway will facilitate neither the cargo boat traffic nor tourism benefits projected by K-Water" by Kim Young-hwan, http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_business/501615.html

chinadialog, 2011.10.20, "The battering of the Bohai" by Wu Xiaolei, http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4592
[Selected quote] Land reclamation is also putting pressure on the Bohai. Between 1996 and 2007, some 551 square kilometres of land was reclaimed from the sea, while shoals and coastal wetlands were reduced by 718 square kilometres -- an average decline of 1% a year. This is equivalent to reducing the ability of the Bohai coast to absorb pollution by 2% to 10% annually.

Want China Times, 2011.10.17 15:41, "No land is an island: Reclamation reshapes China's coastline", http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20111017000032&cid=1505

International Business Times, 2011.10.10 15:23, "Saemangum Exhibition Center / poly.m.ur" by Oscar Lopez, http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228401/20111010/saemangum-exhibition-center-poly-m-ur.htm
[Selected quote] The concept of the design was inspired by the lost mud flat in the area as the result of reclamation. Analogous to the mud flat, the building was designed to act as a 'living field', which breathe environment, programs, and activities.

Statesman, The, 2011.09.30, "Stony Brook looks to expand into South Korea" by Paul Harding, http://www.sbstatesman.com/stony-brook-looks-to-south-korea786
[Selected quote] Officially called SUNY South Korea, the campus will be located in Songdo, a business district located in the city of Incheon. [...] When the plans for establishing the satellite campus were made two years ago, Stony Brook proposed having an entire undergraduate program that would support up to 2,000 students with a focus on the sciences and mathematics. But now, the present plans only outline a graduate program with an estimated enrollment of 200. At first glance, this would appear to be a result of Stony Brook's lack of funds to support the campus, but President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. said this is not the case. In his press release about Songdo, Stanley made it clear that the establishment of the campus would not be supported by [New York] state money and that the two year silence concerning the campus was a result of making sure the programs being offered would be revenue neutral. SUNY South Korea will be supported by a combination of the out-of-state tuition paid by students, backing by the South Korean government and by funds generated by research. However, the South Korean government agreed to cover the costs of operations for only five years. Time will tell if that will be a large enough window for SUNY South Korea to become self-sustainable, as it will have to be if it hopes to survive.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.10.06, "Songdo IBD: Asia's rising metropolis", http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2942411

Korea Times, The, 2011.09.27, "Inshore islands reclaimed by the mainland" by Tim Edelsten, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/09/137_95561.html

Informed Skeptic, 2011.09.26, "Image of the Week: Urban Development and The World Without Us" b, http://www.informedskeptic.com/2011/09/image-of-the-week-urban-development-and-the-world-without-us/
[Selected quote ...] in my trip to Songdo Business Area, a part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone outside Seoul [...] the city seemed if anything a ghost town despite the gleaming glass and concrete towers that abounded. To be fair, I traveled on a weekend to what is essentially an office village, but there is still something eery about walking up a 6-lane road and barely seeing any cars in any direction. [...] Since there was no sidewalk, we walked the road instead.

Smart Planet, 2011.09.20 12:46, "China expanding its cities by building massive artificial islands" by Christopher Mims, http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/china-expanding-its-cities-by-building-massive-artificial-islands/940
[Selected quote] "Sea-filling costs about 300 yuan per square meter," said a real estate executive from Yantai. "Since seaside homes sell for more than 10,000 yuan per square meter [US$146 per square foot], the profit margin is huge."

Korea Times, The, 2011.09.16 17:32, "Where is promised green growth?" letter to editor by Carsten Haertl, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/09/161_94894.html

China Daily, 2011.09.14 08:06, "Emerging industries boost zone's growth" by Zhang Xiaomin, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-09/14/content_13680711.htm
[Selected quote] The zone was the forerunner in its land reclamation work, as a way to find more room for development, while ensuring that the environment and ecology preserved or even improved. It has added up to five square kilometers along the shallow shoreline and will add a total of 50 square kilometers after a 7-billion-yuan project is completed in three years. In fact, the zone employs a reclamation method that differs from the commonly used method in other parts of China, where it goes from the coast to sea, reducing coastline and damaging the ecology. Here, the method is to get land from sea by creating islands, an approach that preserves the ecology. Five artificial islands will emerge along the 200 square kilometers of sea off Huayuankou when the project is completed, according to Dong, the head of the administrative committee.

Gulf News, 2011.09.09 00:00, "China's premier orders probe into Conoco spills", http://gulfnews.com/business/oil-gas/china-s-premier-orders-probe-into-conoco-spills-1.863312
[Selected quote] The State Council, China's Cabinet, said it will restrict new petrochemical projects and ban land reclamation in the [northern Bohai Bay], according to the statement.

Shanghai Daily, 2011.09.07, "S. Korea's ruling party chief proposes projects to raise farm production in DPRK", http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=14542
[Selected quote] The ruling party chief also suggested the two Koreas launch pilot projects for irrigation development, land reclamation and readjustment in two to three areas of Pyongyang's choice.

Want China Times, 2011.09.04 15:32, "Xiamen land reclamation puts economy ahead of environment" by Han Hwa-yu, http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110904000083&cid=1105
[Selected quote] Sources said the city is creating sand beaches at several locations, as they boost property markets and tourism. Prices for houses with a view of the sea have risen to the current 20,000-30,000 yuan (US$3,133-$4,700) per square meter, from 5,000-6,000 yuan (US$783-$940) two years ago.

Recharge, 2011.08.30, "South Korea starts up world's biggest tidal plant at 254MW: The world’s largest tidal power plant started full operations in South Korea after nearly seven years under construction." by Dominique Patton, http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/wave_tidal_hydro/article275341.ece
[Selected quote] The 254MW Shihwa plant off South Korea's Western coast is slightly bigger than the 240MW tidal power station at Rance in France. [...] The Shihwa plant is unique as a 12.7km dam has been in place in the area since 1994 when the government attempted to create a fresh water lake. After it became polluted, the tidal power plant was proposed as a way of cleaning the water.

China Daily, 2011.08.29 07:56, "China acts to protect islands", http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-08/29/content_13206668.htm
[Selected quote] The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) of China has published guidelines that regulate land reclamation and protect the environment of uninhabited islands. "Connecting uninhabited islands to the mainland by reclaiming land must be strictly restricted. The islands must be protected, and they should be prevented from disappearing," according to the document on the SOA website. According to the document, the original land formation of any uninhabited island should be protected, and any project that requires excavating more than 30 percent of an uninhabited island should first be approved unanimously by an expert panel.

Bloomberg, 2011.08.24 02:43, "Hu Says China Must Cut Reliance on Land for Growth, Xinhua Says", http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-24/hu-says-china-must-cut-reliance-on-land-for-growth-xinhua-says.html
[Selected quote] China has set a "red line" to guarantee the amount of arable land doesn’t shrink to less than 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) to ensure grain security, according to the report.

University World News, 2011.08.21, "SOUTH KOREA: Difficult decisions face branch campuses" by Yojana Sharma, http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20110819173557274
[Selected quote] Even as a number of foreign universities wait in the wings to set up new branch campuses in South Korea, one in six of the country's existing 200 universities could be shut down or merged under a wide-reaching government overhaul of the higher education sector. [...] the Songdo Global University Campus in Korea's Incheon Free Economic Zone is hoping to attract at least half a dozen foreign universities. America's State University of New York at Stonybrook and George Mason University in Virginia, and Ghent University in Belgium, plan to set up in Korea within the next two years. Some universities previously indicating interest, such as North Carolina State University, have put plans on hold [...] the University of Southern California opted out late last year. But those who stayed the course now face the 'tripple whammy' of a declining Korean birth rate, pressure on tuition fees as a result of recent student protests and the restructuring programme, which will increase scrutiny of all university operations.

University World News, 2011.08.21, "SOUTH KOREA: Foreign institutions face inspections" by Yojana Sharma, http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20110819185411469

ucanews.com, 2011.08.17, "Archdiocese condemns land project", http://www.ucanews.com/2011/08/17/archdiocese-condemns-land-project/
[Selected quote] Two committees within the Seoul archdiocese yesterday issued a joint statement of condemnation of the Saemangeum reclamation project, which they say has destroyed the local ecosystem and polluted water supplies. The Committee for Justice and Peace and the Environmental Pastoral Committee said in their statement that the government has backed the project, which began in 1991, despite protests from environmental, civil, and religious groups.

Scientific American, 2011.08.16, "Harnessing Residents' Electronic Devices Will Yield Truly Smart Cities" by Carlo Ratti and Anthony Townsend, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-social-nexus
[Selected quote] At Masdar, as well as New Songdo City in South Korea and PlanIT Valley in Portugal, real estate developers, global information-technology companies and governments are attempting to build urban centers from scratch that are filled with technologically enhanced infrastructure and services. The designers say their grand conceptions will determine how future cities will be built. But as models, these top-down projects pale in comparison to the emergent form of intelligence that is bubbling up from millions of newly cyber-connected residents. Truly smart—and real—cities are not like an army regiment marching in lockstep to the commander's orders; they are more like a shifting flock of birds or school of fish, in which individuals respond to subtle social and behavioral cues from their neighbors about which way to move forward.

Korea Herald, The, 2011.08.15 19:00, "IFEZ promises bright future as Northeast Asian hub" by Bae Ji-sook, http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110815000207
[Selected quote] The IFEZ Global Service Center, which opened on April 28, has reportedly provided consultation and assistance to a total of 500 foreigners. The visitors were given a promotional tour of the district, access to community associations and newsletters in the Meet You All Tower. The opening of the website, www.global.ifez.go.kr, has enhanced accessibility, the operators said. An "Afternoon Teatime," service allows foreigners who have day jobs to drop by at the center for a cup of tea and talk over problems. "Foreign residents expressed their satisfaction that a community of their own could be formed with the help from the global service center. However, they have also given us good advice that the district needs more restaurants, shopping malls, sports centers and other leisure facilities to meet their demand," an official at the center said.

China Daily, 2011.08.12 08:04, "Experts warn of fragile sea environment" by Wang Qian, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-08/12/content_13097245.htm
[Selected quote] With marine economy becoming another engine for the country's economy in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), coastal provinces and municipalities are going full speed in their offshore development plans. "Offshore development is going too fast, and it ignores the marine capacity for human activities, especially land reclamation from the sea and offshore oil and gas exploration," Sun Baocun, marine professor from Tianjin University, told China Daily on Thursday. According to the general plan for land reclamation from the sea of the State Oceanic Administration in 2011, the permitted area in Liaoning is about 3,000 hectares while the planned area of the province's six coastal cities reached 100,000 hectares. Most coastlines in China are not natural, but man-made, Sun sighed, citing as reasons the shrinking land resources and the cheap cost of land reclamation from the sea, about 450,000 yuan ($6,900) to 4.5 million yuan per hectare. Statistics from the State Oceanic Administration showed in 2010 about 13,454 hectares of water was filled by sand to form land across China, China Economy Net reported.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.08.12, "Big plans for free economic zone" [Songdo, Incheon], http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2940115

Korea Herald, The, 2011.08.05 18:20, "Ride bikes in red sunsets on Seonyu Island" by Kim Yoon-mi, http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110805000649

Korea IT (Industry and Technology) Times, 2011.08.01, "Guidelines on building Eco-network of Saemangeum made", http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/16009/guidelines-building-eco-network-saemangeum-made

Albany Times Union, 2011.07.25, "SUNY to open South Korean campus next spring" by Scott Waldman, http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/SUNY-to-open-South-Korean-campus-next-spring-1584595.php

Independent, The, 2011.07.15, "Precious estuaries we must protect" Nature Studies by Michael McCarthy [Saemangeum, Spoonbilled Sandpiper], http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/nature_studies/nature-studies-by-michael-mccarthy-precious-estuaries-we-must-protect-2313836.html

Think, 2011.07.15, "As Details Emerge About South Korea Campus So Do Questions of Who Knew What and When" by Adam Peck , http://thinksb.com/2011/07/as-details-emerge-about-south-korea-campus-so-do-questions-of-who-knew-what-and-when/

Think, 2011.07.15, "Behind Closed Doors Stony Brook Moves Forward with South Korea Campus" by Adam Peck, http://thinksb.com/2011/07/behind-closed-doors-stony-brook-moves-forward-with-south-korea-campus/
[Selected quote] A Stony Brook University satellite campus, to be located in South Korea, appears to have been given the final go-ahead by the country's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, despite no apparent disclosure by university officials that any discussions were even ongoing. In late 2009, reports surfaced of an ambitious plan to construct a campus for foreign universities in South Korea, and Stony Brook was slated as one of the original tenants. The Songdo Global University Campus, to be located in Songdo, a new, high-tech business district in Incheon, near Seoul, would house academic programs from several prestigious international universities. In addition to Stony Brook, other initial participants were the University of Delaware, George Mason University, North Carolina State University, and the University of Southern California, and developers claimed to be in discussions with other universities from around the world as well. But continuing budget cuts from Albany and unanswered questions raised by faculty members in the University Senate seemed to put the kibosh on those plans -- until today, apparently, when the South Korean Ministry of Education released a statement that it had granted final approval for Stony Brook to open a campus in Songdo, becoming the first US university to have a campus in Korea. No mention was made of any other universities participating. The news was a startling and abrupt reemergence of the plan, which had been all but written off after its initial unveiling over a year and a half ago. Even the University Senate, the university's governing body, was kept completely in the dark about the progression of any plan involving the South Korean campus. "This is the first I’ve heard of it," said Fred Walter, an astronomy professor and the president of the University Senate, of the plan's revival. The Senate had taken up the issue of the Songdo campus in late 2009, but after several meetings and unanswered questions, the issue was tabled and, by all accounts, abandoned by the spring of 2010. "There were questions a year or so ago about who would staff the teaching positions," said Walter. "They want us to send professors, but it is not clear that any have signed on, or have even been asked."

KBS World, 2011.07.15 14:55:11, "Stony Brook to Open Campus in Songdo ", http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?lang=e&id=Dm&No=83039&current_page=
[Selected quote] The State University of New York at Stony Brook will begin inviting students next month to visit its South Korean campus located in the Songdo area of Incheon [which] is scheduled to open in February next year. For its Songdo campus, Stony Brook plans to accept 200 students who will study computer science and technological sociology in master and doctorate courses. Stony Brook is the first U.S. university to open a campus in South Korea and will form a consortium with Pohang University of Science and Technology. The consortium has recently been selected by the Knowledge Ministry as an institution to foster talented students in the IT sector and will receive financial support of 17 billion won from the South Korean government and private businesses over the next ten years.

Wall Street Journal, The, 2011.07.14 21:12, "SUNY Gets OK for Campus in Songdo" Korea Real Time blog by Jaeyeon Woo, http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2011/07/14/songdo-suny/

JoongAng Daily, 2011.07.14, "SUNY Stony Brook to open campus in Incheon" by Yim Seung-hye, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938844
[Selected quote] Yoon Young-ki, deputy director of the global talent cooperation team at the Ministry of Education said, "SUNY Korea will start off with a graduate school but the president of the university is also considering adding undergraduate courses as well." Currently, Korea has two international university campuses: the Netherland's STC Korea and Germany's FAU in Gwangyang in South Jeolla and Busan, respectively.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.07.13, "The int'l hospitals that never were: 'Hoo-ha' plans for global facilities have been bogged down for years", http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938796

China Daily, 2011.07.03 18:47, "Reclaiming land from the sea evokes concerns", http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-07/03/content_12825437.htm

New York Times, The, 2011.07.06, "Building Boom in China Stirs Fears of Debt Overload" by David Barboza, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/business/global/building-binge-by-chinas-cities-threatens-countrys-economic-boom.html?_r=1

Alfred University Press Release, 2011.07.01, "Alfred University to explore offering programs in Korea" [Songdo Global University Campus], http://www.alfred.edu/pressreleases/viewrelease.cfm?ID=6810
[Selected quote] Under the terms of the initial agreement, Alfred University will prepare a full proposal for review by IFEZ. "If the proposal that Alfred will develop is approved by all parties in Korea, an academic program might be implemented as early as 2013," noted [Alfred University President Charles M. Edmondson]. IFEZ will provide the basic facilities and services for the program, rent-free for the first five years. The South Korean government will assist with operational expenses for the first five years.

Global Times, 2011.06.28 00:06, "Land reclamation sparks worries" by Jin Jianyu, http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/663472/Land-reclamation-sparks-worries.aspx (re-posted at http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2011/06/29/china-illegal-land-reclamation-at-liaoning-province-coastal-area-causes-concerns/
[Selected quote] Liaoning Province is limited to 30 square kilometers of coastal land for reclamation in 2011, according to the State Oceanic Administration, but the actual reclamation plan this year is 1,000 square kilometers. The province’s six coastal cities plan to exploit 30 times more than the regulated figure, according to their own plans.

Yonhap News, 2011.06, "Korea mulls over granting green cards to foreign investors in Saemangeum" by Hong In-cheol, http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/bs/tour_investment_support/pds/content/cms_view_1317139.jsp
[Selected quote] Under the "system granting green cards to real estate investors," a foreigner who invests 500 million won or more in real estate for resorts, tourism and leisure projects will be granted a residential visa (F-2). Such an investor who stays in Korea for over five years will then be eligible for a green card (F-5). Many countries, including the U.S. and Hong Kong, are granting benefits, such as long-term stay visas or green cards, to real estate investors in order to attract foreign investment. In Korea, only the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has been using this system, since last year, according to the Saemangeum Authority.

Dredging Today, 2011.06.16, "China: Tianjin Dredging Co. Wins Nangang Industrial Zone Land Reclamation Contract", http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2011/06/16/china-tianjin-dredging-co-wins-nangang-industrial-zone-land-reclamation-contract/
[Selected quote] The total contract value of this project was 890 million yuan, including the project of land reclamation by hydraulic filling of Xigangchi in Nangang Industrial Zone of Tianjin City, with the land reclamation area of 6.112 million m2, land reclamation capacity 43.7328 million m2; in the two sections of the works for the cofferdam of land foundation, the cofferdam length is 2,270.8m and 2,377.7m respectively.

Smart Planet, 2011.06.02, "Panasonic, Accenture partner on smart city in Fujisawa, Japan" by Andrew Nusca, http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/panasonic-accenture-partner-on-smart-city-in-fujisawa-japan/16692
[Selected quote] The smart town-within-a-city will be built on the vacant lot of a former Panasonic factory [...]

Saemangeum International Forum 2011, 2011.06.01, http://eng.saemangeumforum.kr/
Welcome Message: [...] During the past several years, the Korean government and North Jeolla Province have put together two international conferences for the development of Saemangeum. The first forum focussed on the theme Saemangeum Grand Design, while the second gathering examined issues on Green Growth. While the previous conferences focused on Saemangeum's development directions, this year's conference will be a platform for participants to review Saemangeum's development plans and discuss ways to realize them [...] Speakers:
Seung Jun Kwak, Chairman, Presidential Council for Future and Vision
James McGregor, Senior Counsellor, APCO Worldwide
Roland Villinger, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company Seoul Office
Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President, The Trump Organization
George Tanasijevich, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Marina Bay Sands Pte. Ltd
Sam-ok Park, Professor, Seoul National University
Tsutomu Miyagawa, Professor, Gakushuin University
Wanghong Liu, Vice President, Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences
Dae-Kwan Kim, Professor, College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University
Kyong-Ho Yoon, Editor, Real Estate News, Maeil Business Newspaper
Kwon Lee, Head Foreign Attorney, Kim & Chang's Real Estate & Construction Practice Group
Jeffrey Jones, Chairman, Partners for the Future Foundation
Mu Qing Hu, President, Shanghai Creative Product Development Center President
Nahm-sik Lee, President, Jeonju University
Kwang-yong Shin, Professor, Nankai University
Byoung-gook Lee, Head, Executive Office of Saemangeum Development Planning, Prime Minister's Office
Host:
Government of North Jeolla Province
Organizers:
Presidential Council for Future and Vision
Province-wide People's Committee to Promote Saemangeum Project
Sponsors:
Office of the Prime Minister
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism
Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
Ministry of Knowledge Economy
Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs
Jeonbuk Development Institute

JoongAng Daily, 2011.05.14, "Foreign investors flee local property market: Poor investment returns resulting from excess office space" by Hwang Jeong-il, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2936181
[Selected quote] There are two good reasons for lack of interest in local property by foreign investors. After the 2008 global financial crisis, investment banks have become more cautious in their investments. A bigger reason is the stagnant local property market. "Office space supply is growing but demand is on the decline," said Hong Soon-man, an executive at Shinyoung Asset. According to a survey based on the number of office workers in Seoul by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, demand for office space in the capital is expected to [be a total of] 49.7 million square meters this year, 49.8 million square meters in 2012 and 49.9 million square meters in 2013. However, new office space in Seoul will increase by 10.6 million square meters this year and 10.7 million square meters next year. This is attributed to the boom in developing high-rise buildings in late 2000s. There is expected to be excess office supply until 2014.

Yahoo News, 2011.05.09 5:46, "Quake shifted Japan; towns now flood at high tide" by Jay alabaster, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110509/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake_changing_terrain
[Selected quote] The portion of the plate under Japan was pulled lower as it slid toward the ocean, which caused a corresponding plunge in elevation under the country. Some areas in Ishinomaki moved southeast 17 feet (5.3 meters) and sank 4 feet (1.2 meters) lower. "We thought this slippage would happen gradually, bit by bit. We didn't expect it to happen all at once," says Testuro Imakiire, a researcher at Japan's Geospatial Information Authority, the government body in charge of mapping and surveys.

People's Daily Online, 2011.05.05 11:12, "'Grave situation' threatens coastal areas",
[Selected quote] Since the 1990s, more than 20,000 hectares of wetland in China have disappeared every year on average, according to the 2011 China Ocean Development Report, released on April 29 by the administration's China Institute for Marine Affairs. Nearly 57 percent of the country's intertidal wetland has disappeared, and the wetlands of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea have lost 30 to 90 percent of their natural functions, it said. [...] Qiu Jun [...] helped write the report [...] Sun Zhihui, former head of the State Oceanic Administration, warned that severe marine pollution has been caused by the country's fast economic development, in particular by land reclamation from the sea. The statistics from the administration showed from 1990 to 2008, the total area of reclaimed land increased from 8,241 sq km to 13,380 sq km, and the annual average increase was at least 285 sq km. A five-year survey made by the administration revealed that 806 islands have disappeared in recent years as a result of human actions and natural erosion, and the reclamation of land from the sea was the top cause, said Xia Xiaoming, researcher of the Second Institute of Oceanography. China's coastal environment has also been the victim of large-scale draining efforts for real estate development and port or harbor construction. The cost of building offshore projects in the country reached 66 million yuan ($10.2 million) in 2009, which increased by 32 percent from 2008. The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), approved by the National People's Congress in early March, laid out measures to prevent over-exploration of marine resources and to stop excessive land reclamation.

Environment Magazine, 2011.05 (May-June), "A Conflict of Greens: Green Development Versus Habitat Preservation -- The Case of Incheon, South Korea" by Yekang Ko, Derek K. Schubert and Randolph T. Hester, http://www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/2011/May-June%202011/conflict-of-greens-full.html

CRIENGLISH.com, 2011.04.29 18:39, "China's Gross Marine Product Value Approaches 4 Trillion Yuan in 2010" (Xinhua), http://english.cri.cn/6826/2011/04/29/1461s634944.htm
[Selected quote] The gross product value generated by China's marine industry exceeded 3.84 trillion yuan (590 billion U.S. dollars) last year, up by 12.8 percent from 2009, according to [...] the 2011 China Ocean Development Report, which was released by China's State Oceanic Administration.

ET News, 2011.04.29, "Samsung Sets up Green Energy Complex in Saemangeum" by Ham Bong-gyun, http://english.etnews.co.kr/news/detail.html?id=201104290005
[Selected quote] Samsung Group [plans to build] an 11.5km2-wide green energy industrial complex in the Saemangeum region in North Jeolla Province between 2021 and 2040. The complex consists of wind power generation and solar and fuel cell production facilities. The Prime Minister's Office and Samsung Group exchanged an MOU to that end on April 27. The signing ceremony was attended by Samsung's future strategy office head Kim Soon-taek, North Jeolla Provincial governor Kim Wan-joo, Office of Energy and Resources director Kim Jeong-gwan of the Knowledge Economy Ministry, vice chairman Kim Jae-soo of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and so on. During the first phase continuing for five years from 2021, the group spends 7.6 trillion won to found a wind farm, solar cell production facility and green energy R&D center in a 4.1km2-wide site there. The Prime Minister's Office announced that about 20,000 jobs are likely to be created during the course.

Bloomberg, 2011.04.13, "Tokyo Bay Home Demand to Drop as Quake Turned Land to Mud, Shattered Pipes" by Kathleen Chu and Mariko Ishikawa, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-13/tokyo-bay-home-demand-to-sag-after-earthquake-turned-land-to-mud.html
[Selected quote] Developers in Tokyo's bayside neighborhoods, where apartments were built on reclaimed land, are halting sales after Japan's earthquake turned some of the landfill into mud, shattered pipes and severed water supplies. While most of Tokyo avoided major damage in the March 11 quake because of stringent building codes, in some parts of Tokyo Bay the magnitude-9 temblor triggered liquefaction, a phenomenon where soil loses its strength after violent shaking. [...] Neighborhoods around Tokyo Bay, which has about 24,955 hectares (61,665 acres) of reclaimed land [...]

COPRI Newsletter, 2011.04.11, "Green Shores: Coastal Development Rating System" by Brian Emmett, http://www.asce.org/copri/News/Headlines/2011/Featured-Article-from-Green-Shores/

COPRI Newsletter, 2011.04.11, "The Evolution of Port Sustainability Rating Systems" by Douglas J. Sereno, http://www.asce.org/copri/News/Headlines/2011/Featured-Article--Sustainability/

Mondaq, 2011.03.31, "China: Environmental Compliance Abroad: The China Conundrum" by Beverlee Silva, Sarah Babcock and Trudy Caraballo, Alston & Bird LLP, http://www.mondaq.in/article.asp?article_id=124544
[Selected quote] International treaties and bilateral agreements are unlikely to create any compliance concerns for American companies operating in China.

Ministry of Environment, People's Republic of China, 2011.03.25, [Press Release] "National Standard to Help Reduce Coastal Pollution", http://english.mep.gov.cn/News_service/media_news/201103/t20110325_207687.htm
[Selected quote] About 147,000 sq km of coastal water, almost the size of the US state of Florida, failed to meet national clear water standards in 2009, an increase of 7.3 percent from the previous year, according to a report released last year by the [State Oceanic Administration]. About 75 percent of the nearly 500 coastal monitoring stations reported excessive pollutants in 2009 [...]

Korea Business Central, 2011.04.29, Interview of Dick Warmington, President, Chadwick International School, Songdo, Korea by Tom Tucker, http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/korea-business-central-329
[Selected quote]
Tom: [...] Can you tell us a little bit about Songdo and where things stand now with the city's development?
Dick: Sure. Songdo is a brand new city that actually is an architected city. The center of it is being developed by a private corporation. Actually, this will be one of the largest privately developed cities in the world. It was started in around 2000, very close to the Incheon Airport, which is a hub in Northeast Asia. We're sitting in the middle of an economic free zone, so actually the reason for this school being built was that the managers of the economic free zone are looking to draw in foreign direct investment into this area. Of course, if you're going to draw corporations in here, and there will be families moving here associated with this new investment, they needed to have a school locally to be able to educate their children, which is how this school was built originally. This is a little background behind the building of it. This city has developed into an incredibly interesting city at its current state, and it's only about a third built at this point. During this time, as we all know, there have been some economic difficulties in the world, say, over the last three or four years so that the ability to be able to draw companies here was limited. That plus a couple of other factors made it a bit difficult for us to get the school up and running as an international school. It's an international K-12 school, but we were able to work through the process. This involved working with the developer as well as working with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Every school that wants to operate in Korea needs to get a license from the Ministry to operate -- a bit different than in the States where an independent school can start up without such government involvement. So the combination of the two was a bit more complicated than we had originally expected. We had planned to get our license and be able to operate the school beginning in April of last year. We were finally able to get it in late June [2010]. We got the license, and once we had the license we could promote the school, which we began to do in late June. We opened up our admissions in early July and were able to get our initial student body set up during July. We have 280 students. We brought in all of our faculty in the first of August. We have 40 international educators. We got them to get rooms set up and open the school. Students arrived on September 7 [2010...] So we're just finishing our first year of operation.
Tom: Well, congratulations on that. It sounds like it was certainly a huge undertaking and a lot of work there just to get the doors open. It's well known that business and government pretty much go hand-in-hand in Korea and that large infrastructure projects always involved heavy government involvement. Can you talk a little bit about how the central Korean government and the city of Incheon were involved in Chadwick International's establishment?
Dick: Certainly. As I had mentioned, schools need to get license. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology was one organization that we had to work with to be able to establish our presence here. There is another organization called the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE). They're responsible for the operation of what is called IFEZ, which is the Incheon Free Economic Zone that we're located in. They have been involved with the setup of our school here. We're in the city of Incheon, so we also have actively worked with the city in terms of getting the school set up. All of these organizations, it took some time to build relationships and get an understanding of what it is that we're trying to accomplish. They have been very supportive of us, but it does take time to get those relationships set and to get an understanding of what it is that we're trying to accomplish and then get their support, which is necessary here, as you mentioned.
Tom: Following the loss in last year's election by the previous mayor and his party, did you find that the changing relationships at the top in Incheon affected the Songdo development, in general, and Chadwick International's position, specifically? If so, how was that the case?
Dick: It's interesting. When I decided to take this position, which was February of last year, I actually the next day happened to meet the mayor at the time, Mayor Ahn at Chadwick in Los Angeles. We had a really good support, good relationship with him and good support from him. We were thinking that when the election occurred that he would be reelected. He is with the Grand National Party that the president is currently with that party. It turns out that he lost at the last minute, and Mayor Song took over. He is with the Democratic Party. It turns out I have somebody on my staff that actually is quite close with him, and we got him engaged with our school very early. He also has been extremely supportive of the school, and that's been very helpful for us. So the changeover has actually not affected us one way or the other, since we were getting support from both.
[...] Our students here are mostly local Korean students at this point in time. We're an international school, but we can bring into the school 30% of our students on a local basis. The other 70% need to be international. Many of these international students are ethnic Koreans, so it's largely a Korean group of children that we're educating here at this point.
[...] We're right now a K-7 school. We're going to be adding a grade a year until we're a full K-12 school graduating our first students in 2016.
[...Songdo is] going to be a high-dense populated area. We're in 1,500 acres here. There will eventually be 85,000 people living in this area, but you won't feel it. The avenues are wide. The parking is all underground.
[...] We're on actually filled wetlands. Just the ability to build what I'm looking at here has been unbelievable. The Koreans are incredible builders. But this is, if you look at these buildings they are very modern, a lot of glass, a lot of letting light in. It's environmentally friendly in a lot of respects, the way in which things that its transportation, its trash, its sewage, the materials used and so forth. A lot of care has been given to being very environmentally friendly.
[...] It is a city that you really has earned the right to be looked at as being the city of the future. As I say, I'm looking out the window. I'm looking at the tallest building in Korea that's been built here. I'm looking at the headquarters of POSCO Engineering & Construction. It's a $300 million two-building, and it's a fascinating architected building. You look at all this, and it just works. It works in terms of being a safe, pleasant city to be in. People ride bikes here, and the air is clean. [...] There is a Jack Nicklaus golf course here that was built. They actually -- again, as I mentioned, it's filled land -- they put three million cubic meters of earth into building this Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
[...] We're hoping that our school, which will be one of the largest independent schools here, can actually serve as an example of different ways of approaching education that will help children here to move more into the area of being able to think critically and to be creative [...]

Korea IT (Industry and Technology) Times, 2011.04.25, "Where Business Blossoms: Korea's Free Economic Zones will make Korea the business capital of Northeast Asia", http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/14270/where-business-blossoms
[Selected quote] As part of its efforts to offer the best educational environment in Asia, the government has established the Songdo Global University Campus, which will accommodate 10,000 students. The State University of New York and George Mason University will open campuses there by the end of next year. "We hope to attract 10 additional universities from the United States and Europe," [Kwon Pyung-Oh, Director General for Free Economic Zones] said. These include the University of North Carolina, the University of Missouri and the Georgia Institute of Technology. In the latter half of 2010, Chadwick International School Songdo and Daegu International School opened facilities for primary, middle and high school students.

China Economic News Service, 2011.04.21, "Kinmen Plans International Economic and Trade Park" by Philip Liu, http://news.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_36109.html
[Selected quote] The Kinmen County Government plans to give its economy a boost by developing an “international economic and trade park” on a BOT (build-operate-transfer) basis. The project calls for a total investment of NT$20 billion (US$690 million at NT$29:US$1), making it the largest such project ever undertaken on the offshore island. The projected park is meant mainly to attract exhibitions, trade fairs, and international conventions. It will apparently compete for this business with Xiamen [...] The park will rise on 70 hectares of reclaimed land near Shuitou Harbor, which has direct shipping link with Xiamen. With a budget of NT$1.8-2 billion (US$62-69 million), land reclamation work began in late 2010 and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2012.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.04.21, "OCI to invest W1.8T in new plant", http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2935129
[Selected quote] OCI, Korea's leading polysilicon maker, said on Wednesday that it plans to spend 1.8 trillion won ($1.7 billion) on building a new plant with a capacity of 24,000 tons in Saemangeum Industrial Complex, North Jeolla. Construction of the plant will be completed by 2013, the company said in a regulatory filing.

asiaone, 2011.04.20, "Illegal land grabs a growing problem", http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110420-274604.html
[Selected quote] Official figures from the [Ministry of Land and Resources] suggest 7,644 officials suspected of illegally allocating land in exchange for bribes or other favors received Party disciplinary and administrative punishments and another 968 were forwarded for legal proceedings. [...Gan Zangchun] stressed that China will strive to defend its guaranteed "red line" of 120 million hectares of available farmland during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) while focusing on improving the quality of farmed land.

Xinhau, 2011.04.19 13:53, "China recovers 18.63 billion yuan from illegal land-use practices in 2010: MLR", http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-04/19/c_13835882.htm
[Selected quote] The recovered money included 4.06 billion yuan in fines for land misuse, 13.23 billion yuan in land transfer revenues, 497 million yuan in royalties for new construction sites and 843 million yuan in land reclamation fees, according to [Gan Zangchun, Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR)...] He stressed that China will strive to defend its guarantee of 1.8 billion mu of farmlands for use during its 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015) while focusing on improving the quality of the farmlands.

Korea Times, 2011.04.14 21:46, "Mayor leading Incheon on globalization trail" by Oh Young-jin, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2011/04/123_85230.html
[Selected quote] Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil [...] a third-term opposition lawmaker [...] came back to beat the incumbent and became the mayor of Incheon in last year's local elections. The 48-year-old former labor leader has a clear plan to press ahead with his top priority -- globalization on both a personal and city level. First, he sees an international city in Songdo, a long-term project, inside the free economic zone (FEZ), as an integral part of his globalization plan. Before he took office the Songdo City Plan had been turning into a white elephant riddled with a number of problems. Gale International, the lead firm of the mega-development project often complained about the lack of support [...] A two-prong approach to the project is being taken. One is the so-called Med City plan that is gathering momentum with the commitment of Samsung Group to set up shop for its new growth field of bioengineering. [...] Also in Song's plans is Centrion, a young legend in Korea's bio industry, which produces biosimilars, powerful copies that are as effective as the originals. CJ Group and GE Healthcare are among those already making their presence felt. [...] Plus, a number of global hospitals have decided to join or are in negotiations. They include Johns Hopkins, Harvard University, Seoul National University and Samsung Medical Center. [The second prong is] his North Korea initiative. "Incheon can act with great synergy as a logistics point for two North Korean cities -- Gaeseong for light industry products and Haeju for heavy industry," he said. "This can help Korea get out of the situation of a nut caught between the two arms of the nutcracker -- the one arm of Japan for high-tech industry and the other arm of China for cheap labor products."

China Daily, 2011.04.13 16:09, "Govt offers rights to 176 islands for development work" by Wang Qian, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2011-04/13/content_12320711.htm
[Selected quote] China's ocean watchdog is speeding up its work to protect and develop islands in response to the priority placed on the oceanic economy by the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). [...] Meanwhile, about 806 islands have disappeared in recent years as a result of human deeds and natural erosion, Xinhua News Agency reported in March. Xia Xiaoming, researcher of the Second Institute of Oceanography, told People's Daily in February the main causes of the island disappearances are the reclamation of land from the sea, which is sometimes done by filling in the water between the mainland and islands, and by construction projects in which rocks from the islands are used. [Lu Caixia, director of the Island Management Office of the State Oceanic Administration] said islands help to expand the space people have for economic development, to protect the marine environment, to maintain a balance among species of underwater life and to guarantee the country's security.

Financial Times , 2011.04.02, "Is it time to outsource cities?" by Tim Harford, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/bbcdd63c-5a6d-11e0-8367-00144feab49a.html#axzz1PvYqUDYU
[Selected quote] Take New Songdo, a conurbation close to Seoul. For Greg Lindsay, New Songdo is an aerotropolis, notable for its proximity to Incheon airport. I think its quasi-charter status is more important: South Korean politicians privately admit that New Songdo is attractive because businesses can be offered light-touch regulations without seeding a political storm.

Wildlife Extra, 2011.04, "Hunt for the Spoon-billed sandpiper – Help save this Critically Endangered bird" by Martin Fowlie, http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/spoon-billed-sandpiper011.html#cr
[Selected quote] Another factor contributing to the decline are migratory stopover sites that are being lost to coastal development in East Asia. One example is Saemangeum in South Korea. This site was once one of the most important shorebird sites within the Yellow Sea and despite intensive lobbying is now being reclaimed for development, putting hundreds of thousands of migratory birds including Spoon-billed Sandpipers under threat. Coastal reclamation and development continues in South Korea, China and other East Asian countries and this threat remains a very real problem for all species on the East Asian-Australasian flyway.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.04.01, "Campaign promises backfire" Editorial, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2934226
[Selected quote] Irresponsible presidential election promises cause a huge burden on society. The controversial Saemangeum Seawall project pledged by then-presidential candidate Roh Tae-woo is finally back on track after decades of to and fro, including lawsuits. The economic future of the project, however, is still fuzzy. [...] Our society should find its way out of such irresponsible commitments by presidential candidates. [...Regarding the cancelled southeastern airport, Former GNP Chairwoman and presidential candidate Park Geun-hye] should think hard before coming to her conclusions. Does she have the wisdom to dispute a committee's conclusion that the airport does not make economic sense? How much economic and scientific knowledge did she base her 2007 airport campaign pledge on?

JoongAng Daily, 2011.03.31, "Virtue and vice in environmentalism" opinion by Park Seok-soon, Professor of Environmental Science, Ewha Womans University,http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2934170
[Selected quote] Environmentalists mounted strong opposition to Incheon International Airport [...] In 1999, the construction of the Saemangeum Seawall was 60 percent completed but was stopped because environmentalists raised strong objections to the project. The legal battle, which lasted four years and seven months, only resulted in a waste of funds and a split in public opinion.

Korea Herald, 2011.03.30 20:05, "Politicians decry canceled airport plan" by Kim So-hyun, http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110330001017
[Selected quote] "(The government) will push for steps to improve the existing airport conditions to help connect more international air routes (to Gimhae) and reduce inconvenience in using the airport," [Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik] said. [...] "The government has once again realized that the economic and technological feasibility of a state project must be thoroughly reviewed from the very beginning." As consolation for the people of Yeongnam, the governing bloc is considering building a high-speed railway line that connects the existing Seoul-Busan KTX network with Incheon International Airport. This would allow KTX passengers from Busan to reach Incheon airport within two hours. It would take about an hour and half from Daegu to the airport. A senior presidential aide reportedly said the government could raise the train’s speed from the current 300 km/h to 350 km/h, and that the new line could run between the airport and Gwangmyeong Station or Cheonan Asan Station. It costs about 42.6 billion won to build a kilometer of KTX track, which means construction of a 50.7-kilometer route from Gwangmyeong to Incheon airport would cost over 2.1 trillion won, and a 136-kilometer route from Cheonan Asan 5.8 trillion won.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.03.30, "FDI projects fell short of implementation last year: Only 40.7 percent of declared investments were registered" b, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2934107

GOV.cn, 2011.03.29, "China's reclaimed land helps food supply" by Anne Tang, http://www.gov.cn/english/2011-03/29/content_1833703.htm
[Selected quote] The country's inventory of arable land has faced many challenges, including heavy metal pollution and over-exploitation, during the nation's fast-paced urbanization and industrialization. [...] The cost of reclaiming a hectare of polluted land is around 36,000 yuan. [Yan Zhiyao, director of the department of cultivated land protection, Ministry of Land and Resources] said the country plans to reclaim 290,000 hectares of land each year and expects to spend more than 10 billion yuan annually. So far, central-government-subsidized land management and reclamation projects have accounted for more than 4 million hectares of new farming land, including arable land covering 670,000 hectares that now produces around 10 million kilograms of wheat a year, China News Agency reported earlier this month. Through land reclamation projects, Heilongjiang province in Northeast China has earned an additional 670 million yuan from 20,000 hectares of reclaimed land, Heilongjiang Daily reported on March 18.

Korea IT (Industry and Technology) Times, 2011.03.29, "Gov't to Build Carbon-free, Green City in Saemangeum", http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/13785/gov%E2%80%99t-build-carbon-free-green-city-saemangeum
[Selected quote] To secure clean water, the government decided to spend 2.9 trillion won on sewage treatment facilities.

People's Daily, 2011.03.25 08:21, "National standard to help clean up coastal pollution", http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7330711.html

Bloomberg, 2011.03.22 20:39, "Tokyo Disneyland's Parking Lot Turned Swamp Shows Risk of Reclaimed Land" by Makiko Kitamura, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/tokyo-disneyland-s-parking-lot-turned-swamp-shows-risk-of-reclaimed-land.html
[Selected quote] The quake triggered ground liquefaction, which causes soil to act like quicksand, across much of the 1,455 hectares (3,600 acres) of reclaimed land in Urayasu city, said Kazuhisa Nakatani, a local government spokesman. [...] "I was very surprised there was land damage to an area like Urayasu, so far from the seismic center of the quake," said Yasuo Tanaka, a professor of geotechnical engineering at Kobe University. "They should have been prepared for earthquakes, but given the damage, it clearly wasn't enough."

Conducive Magazine, 2011.03.19 02:28, "South Korea's Global Food Ambitions: Rural Farming and Land Grabs" by Anders Riel Muller, http://www.conducivemag.com/2011/03/south-korea%E2%80%99s-global-food-ambitions-rural-farming-and-land-grabs/
[Selected quote] Korean cuisine is a symbol of the country's long history, its cultural heritage, the land, and perpetual struggle to remain independent [...] But there is a little catch: Korea hardly grows any food. Except for rice where Korea is self-sufficient due to protective measures, South Korea imports 90% of its food from abroad. [...] Under the [proposed Free Trade Agreement between the USA and South Korea], nearly all agricultural trade tariffs will be eliminated including those for rice, traditionally the most protected area of South Korean agriculture. [...] Increasingly, some consumers are also becoming aware of the detrimental effects that Korea's development path has on farmers and rural communities. Hansalim, a growing ecologically-oriented cooperative with more than 230,000 consumer members and 1700 producers, is working to restore direct relations between farmers and their urban consumers. Urban and rural activists disillusioned with Korea's development path also began in the late 80s and early 90s to establish themselves in rural areas to recover the connection to culture, history, land, and food that they felt was lost during the rapid industrialization and relentless pursuit of wealth.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.03.17, "Gov't finalizes Saemangeum project: Forty years after proposed, grand plan moves forward" by Kim Mi-ju, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2933562
[Selected quote] The Saemangeum project, which began in 1991, was meant to provide new farmland, principally for growing rice, but that has since become obsolete since Korea has a rice surplus. Several proposals have since been made for finding new uses for Saemangeum to avoid it becoming a “white elephant” project. [...] The government also finalized infrastructure for Saemangeum. A port with 18 piers will be built on the man-made land and another separate pier designated to accommodate cruise ships would be built as well. [...] A highway will be built linking Saemangeum and Jeonju, North Jeolla and high speed KTX trains will also be built linking Gunsan, North Jeolla and Saemangeum. International flights would also be launched after expansion work on Gunsan Airport is completed, the government said. The reclamation project is estimated to cost around 22 trillion won ($19.4 billion) and the government will invest 10.9 trillion won for the project. Starting next month, the government will begin presentations overseas to lure foreign investment.

The Marmot's Hole, 2011.03.17, "The Final, Final Plan for Saemangeum" blog post by R. Elgin, http://www.rjkoehler.com/2011/03/17/the-final-final-plan-for-saemangeum/

JoongAng Daily, 2011.03.12, "Knee-jerk environmentalism" Editorial, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2933338
[Selected quote] Many public infrastructure projects suffered from [complaints similar to the Monk Jiyul high-speed railroad tunnel] due to opposition from environmentalists often using non-scientific and tenaciously one-sided logic. The same uproar persisted throughout the construction of the Incheon International Airport, the tunnel at Mt. Sapae along the Seoul ring road, and the Saemangeum reclamation project. These projects all stirred strong protests from activists, but in the end, they didn't take a heavy toll on the environment but, instead, extracted a hefty price in social strife -- and wasted public funds due to delays in construction. Infrastructure development projects are obviously harmful to nature. Authorities must be extra scrupulous to minimize environmental damage through preliminary feasibility studies and a vigilant watch on our precious environment. It is our obligation to future generation, for we are transforming the environment that they will have to live with. But knee-jerk opposition to development plans by environmental fundamentalists does no good for society. Shelving or delaying major state projects that have society's consensus wastes money. Taxpayers pay the extra costs due to delays. Authorities should explain and campaign aggressively to gain a consensus from the public and once a plan has broad support, activists must not resort to blind protests. Waste can be avoided if both supporting and opposing groups maintain reason and seek the best possible solution that can add comfort and boost the economy without jeopardizing the natural habitat. Courts should also decide on judicial challenges to development projects as quickly as possible.

Palm Oil HQ, 2011.03.11, "China Beidahuang Planning Large Farmland Buys Overseas" by Chuin-Wei Yap, http://www.palmoilhq.com/PalmOilNews/update-china-beidahuang-planning-large-farmland-buys-overseas/
[Selected quote] Beidahuang Land Cultivation Group [...] is the corporate vehicle for China's northeastern Heilongjiang provincial government land reclamation agency. It is one of China's largest farming businesses [...]

Nature, 2011.03.01, "China faces up to 'terrible' state of its ecosystems: Wetlands hardest hit by land reclamation and pollution" by Jane Qiu, http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110301/full/471019a.html or http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/471019a
[Selected quote] A recent report by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), a joint Chinese and international advisory board to the government, shows that 57% of the country's coastal wetlands have disappeared since the 1950s, largely due to land reclamation. Over the same period, the area covered by mangrove forests and coral reefs fell by 73% and 80%, respectively. On the basis of development projects approved by the government, the authors of the CCICED report estimate that another 5,800 square kilometers of coastal area will be lost by 2020, eating away at the total 385,000 square kilometers of remaining wetlands. [...] Over the past five years, the science ministry has spent 500 million renminbi (US$76 million) on the monitoring, evaluation and restoration of key ecosystems, says [Xu Jun of the Ministry of Science and Technology ...] Some delegates at the symposium used the Chinese saying jiulong zhishui, meaning 'taming the water with nine dragons', to describe the overlapping monitoring efforts of various government ministries. These efforts are all too often short term and uncoordinated, says [Cui Lijuan, director of the Institute of Wetland Research in Beijing.]

Chicago Artists Resource, 2011.03, "Busan Biennale Sea Art Festival 2011", http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/visual-arts/node/32490
[Selected quote] Songdo Beach is often cited as the 1st beach on record in Korea and was referred to as the Naples of Asia during the Japanese Occupation. Songdo Beach used to be regarded as the best beach in Busan before it suffered problems such as degradation of water quality, damage from storms and loss of sand. Songdo beach has succeeded in regaining its past fame by improving its environment and offering interesting programs for visitors.

Financial Times, 2011.02.25 17:03, "Aerotropolis" by Greg Lindsay, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/35d655ea-3fb5-11e0-a1ba-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1GaIl8X9J
[Selected quote] Ten years ago, Stan Gale was a builder of New Jersey business parks. But in 2001 his fate began to change when he received a phone call from South Korea. The South Korean government had found Gale's company on the internet, and they made him an offer everyone else had refused. The brief: Gale International would borrow $35bn from Korea's banks, partner with its biggest steel company and use the money to build from scratch a city the size of downtown Boston -- only taller and denser -- on a muddy, man-made [peninsula] in the Yellow Sea. When Gale arrived to see the site, it was miles of open water.

SPIE, 2011.02.23, "Satellite-based multitemporal-change detection in urban environments" by Ni-Bin Chang, http://spie.org/x44379.xml?highlight=x2420&ArticleID=x44379 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/2.1201101.003502
[Selected quote] In the Dalian Development Area [Liaoning, China...] from 2003 to 2007, the area covered by water decreased by 12.7206 [square kilometers] as a result of coastal-land reclamation. In addition, building coverage in the region increased by 7.8086 [square kilometers].

IOL [Independent Online], 2011.02.16 16:03, "Device offers new insight into migration" by John Yeld, http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/device-offers-new-insight-into-migration-1.1027495
[Selected quote] Last year, for the first time, researchers from the Victorian Wader Study Group in Australia captured a Ruddy Turnstone in successive years, 2009 and 2010, after it had completed its annual 27000 km round-trip migration -- and the results were astonishing. The tiny geolocators had been attached to birds in mid-April on a beach at Flinders, Victoria, in south-east Australia. The retrieved data showed that the turnstones generally started their northward migration with an initial non-stop flight of around 7600 km in six days to Taiwan or adjacent regions. "There they refuel on the tidal flats before moving north to the Yellow Sea and northern China. They then make a flight of over 5000 km to the breeding grounds in northern Siberia, arriving in the first week of June," explains Dr Clive Minton of the study group.

JoongAng Daily, 2011.02.12, "This elephant could be white" Editorial, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932093
[Selected quote] Some are now questioning the necessity of a new airport. The central and local governments argue it is vital, but critics are quick to cite past catastrophic white elephants. The 1987 presidential campaign promise, the Saemangeum Seawall Project, is the worst example. The manmade Sihwa Lake worsened water pollution. The campaign pledge to create a new administrative municipality was pronounced “unconstitutional” by the Constitutional Court. The functional role of Sejong City is still under debate. Of 14 airports across the nation, 10 run deficits. Airport projects in Gimje and Yecheon were abandoned during construction and airports in Uljin and Yangyang closed due to a lack of demand. Despite this abysmal track record, the government and politicians have learned little.

Deutsche Welle, 2011.02.11, "South Korean carbon trading: green growth, or greenwashing?" interview of Chad Futrell, an environment and foreign policy professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, by Saroja Coelho, http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14835013,00.html
[This interview also covers river canalization and costal-wetland filling (Saemangeum).]

JoongAng Daily, 2011.02.09, "New tourism resort to be built on coast", http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2931941
[Selected quote] After 20 years of work, it was completed in April 2010 at a cost of 2.9 trillion won. [Typically the completion of the Saemangeum seawall is dated to April 2006, tidal flow was stopped. Later the road on the seawall was completed. An official completion ceremony was held in April 2010.] [...] Saemangeum will create new land and a freshwater lake as part of the nation's largest land reclamation project, which has been criticized for being wasteful and unnecessary. The Korea Rural Community Corporation said a consortium made up of 12 companies aims to complete development on a large chunk of reclaimed land by 2025 that could provide work to 115,000 people and have an economic impact totaling 23 trillion won. "The consortium is led by such companies as JY Heavy Industries, Kumho Engineering and Construction and Hanyang Corporation with the three-stage construction project to kick off in 2012," said Lee Weon-hee, the rural corporation's executive vice president. Under the plan, developers will build a hotel, clubhouse and commercial district on Sinsi and Yami islands on the seawall by 2017. A convention center, water park and marina will be added in the following three years. A medical center, aquarium and golf course are to be built by 2025, with all facilities to be opened for business in the following year. Lee said that the project will be led entirely by the private sector with the state offering reclaimed land. The developers will pay rent during the lease period, which will run through 2061.

Yonhap News Agency, 2011.02.08 14:34, "S. Korean firms to inject 3.4 tln won into Saemangeum resort", http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2011/02/08/0501000000AEN20110208006600320.HTML

North Korean Economy Watch, 2011.02.07, "More DPRK efforts to boost food production", http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2011/02/07/more-dprk-efforts-to-boost-food-production/

Korea Herald, The, 2011.02.06 18:59, "'I want to be reborn as a hoopoe'" by Hwang Jurie, http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110206000198
[Selected quote ...Kyung-hee University biology professor Yoon Moo-boo] laughed sarcastically at TV news reports that the Saemangeum reclamation project would shape the land to mimic the Palm Beach area. "Obviously, they don't know what they are on about, even fish like skates and croakers don't lay eggs in the deep ocean, they lay in shallow waters. Just by looking at how much consideration is being put in to the ecology here shows whether the politicians are really environment-friendly or not." Recently, Japanese scholars' calls to Yoon to do something to prevent hooded cranes from flying to Kagoshima area have doubled. "Ever since the government started the remodeling in the Haepyeong plains near the Nakdong River, the 4,000 migratory hooded cranes that used to prepare for winter in that area have started flying a long way to Japan." Yoon says at worst, this could lead to extinction. "Birds get stressed in new environments. They develop a sickness, and they die, that is what eventually leads to the extinction of a breed."

KBS World, 2011.02.05 14:42, "Permanent Residency Mulled for Foreigners Investing in Saemangeum Region", http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Ec_detail.htm?No=79205

Steel Guru, 2011.02.01, "Boulder Steel operational report for quarter ended Dec 31 2010", http://www.steelguru.com/international_news/Boulder_Steel_operational_report_for_quarter_ended_Dec_31_2010/188908.html
[Selected quote] On December 6th 2011 [sic], a delegation from Metallurgical Corporation of China International Incorporation Limited and MCC WISDRI visited the proposed 500 hectare plant site and key Gladstone infrastructure including the proposed Fisherman's Landing wharf expansion. The purpose of the visit was an on site assessment of the project and meetings with key representatives of Boulder Steel Limited as well as government representatives and authorities.
[JDH note] The Gladstone Steel Project (http://www.gladstonesteelproject.com.au/) west of Gladstone, Australia, may make an interesting comparison to port-dependant projects around the Yellow Sea -- such as at Incheon, Korea and Caofeidian, China. Planing appears to have attempted to minimize filling of coastal wetlands to water-dependent activities (wharves), locating other activities (the steel making) further inland. Likewise, comparison of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and other planning and consultation processes in Australia, China, and Korea for projects of about this size (5 square kilometers) may also be interesting. See also:
http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/local-area-planning/gladstone.html http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/land/state_development_areas/gladstone/precincts-map-gsda.pdf

Macau Daily Times, 2011.01.25 03:00, "New land, new opportunities" by Alexandra Lages, http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/our-desk/21519-New-land-new-opportunities.html
[Selected quote] The five new areas of reclamation land are a new opportunity for Macau to correct past and present mistakes on city planning. If the work is well done, the city may breathe again. Up until now, what we've had from the Macau Government has been mere promises. It said that at least 50 percent of the claimed land will be used for green space, public buildings and community facilities, but a part will be saved for social housing and the development of business sectors promoting economic diversification, as well as the city as an international tourism and leisure hub.

Dredging News, 2011.01.24, "China CCCC Shanghai Dredging Co Signs Phase I of Infrastructure Construction Project", http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2011/01/24/china-cccc-shanghai-dredging-co-signs-phase-i-of-infrastructure-construction-project/
[Selected quote] On 14th January 2011, CCCC Shanghai Dredging Co., Ltd. signed BT contract on Phase I of infrastructure construction of Quangang petrochemical industrial zone. The total investment on Phase I is estimated to RMB1,000 million. While the total value of the contract signed this time amounted to RMB200 million, and is composed of reclamation, land leveling, flood control and drainage, etc.

National Post, 2011.01.23, "China's green dream: If China wants to avoid choking on its growing urban population, places like Tianjin Eco-City have to take off" by Carrie Tait, http://www.canada.com/business/fp/China+green+dream/4145713/story.html

University World News, 2011.01.23, "South Korea: Global campus for foreign universities" by Karryn Miller, http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20110122084850765

China.org.cn, 2011.01.18, "Island project suspended after protest in Hainan" (Xinhua), http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-01/18/content_21759700.htm
[Selected quote] Construction at a government project to build an artificial island in south China's Hainan Province has been suspended for nearly one week after thousands of villagers protested, fearing the island might cause a decrease in fishing near the port and disturb the nearby natural environment. The government in Wenchang City in the southernmost island province of Hainan planned to reclaim land and build a 225,800-square-meter artificial island to develop tourism near the entrance to Qingnan port, a spokesman with the city government said on Monday. Local residents contend that there would be fewer fish near the gulf after the island is built and that the port would become narrower with less space for ships to seek harbor, especially during typhoon season, said villager Huang Shoujun. Also, villagers believe the artificial island would disturb the nearby environment. However, Lin Zhitie, head of the provincial marine and fishery bureau, said that the reclamation would help ease erosion at the shore and promote tourism, therefore accelerating local economic development. The 2-billion-yuan (300 million U.S. dollars) project is part of the city's project to promote tourism, which is also the target of Hainan Province, as China announced a plan in January 2010 to build the tropical island into a top international tourism destination by 2020.

WWP-Business Opportunities in Asia & the Pacific, 2011.01.15, "Hong Kong: Joint venture construction start-up on planned $487,000,000 land reclamation project and associated works", http://www.akirajobs.com/2011/01/15/hong-kong-joint-venture-construction-start-up-on-planned-487000000-land-reclamation-project-and-associated-works-china-state-construction-engineering-opportunities-in-asia-the-pacific/

Bloomberg, 2011.01.12 17:44, "Singapore Daybook" by Linus Chua and Jonathan Burgos, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-12/singapore-daybook-great-eastern-straits-asia-resources.html
[Selected quote] Manhattan Resources Ltd. (MRL SP): The provider of marine and land reclamation services said it formed a joint venture to bid for a site in China's Ningbo city. The project is expected to cost 1.1 billion yuan.

Korea Herald, The, 2011.01.06 18:28, "Korea to spend W1tr on new, renewable energy sources" by Koh Young-aah, http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110106000798

Journal of Coastal Research, 2010.01, "Sand Transport offshore the Saemangeum Dike, Midwest Coast of Korea" by Lee HeeJun, pages 153-165, http://dx.doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-10-00086.1 or http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-10-00086.1
[See also]
Coastal Environmental and Ecosystem Issues of the East China Sea, 2010.03, "Enhanced movements of sands off the Saemangeum Dyke by an interplay of dyke construction and winter monsoon" by Lee HeeJun, pages 49-70, TERRAPUB and Nagasaki University, http://www.terrapub.co.jp/onlineproceedings/fs/nu/pdf/nu2010049.pdf or http://www.terrapub.co.jp/onlineproceedings/fs/nu/index.html