This photo provided by the Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency shows a new road in Saemangeum.
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed the government Tuesday to review the development plan for the southwestern reclaimed wetland of Saemangeum from scratch in a bid to improve its economic benefits, government sources said.
The nation has been pushing to turn the 409-square-kilometer reclaimed area in North Jeolla Province into a major industrial town.
Saemangeum was the venue for the 2023 World Scout Jamboree, which ended up in failure earlier this month due to the scorching weather and the government’s lack of preparation.
Han instructed the land ministry and the Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency to rewrite the project’s basic plan so that it can bring actual revival to the local economy, according to an official.
The instruction came amid criticisms of slow progress of the project despite the vast amount of investment, including 6.6 trillion won (US$4.97 billion) in private investment since the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration last year.
One of the complaints has centered on the need to thoroughly study the need for and feasibility of various social overhead capital (SOC), including an airport, port and railways.
The land ministry plans to immediately look into the SOC plans with the aim of completing the study in the first half of next year and rewrite the Saemangeum basic plan before the end of 2025, the officials said.
“The Saemangeum basic plan has been renewed regularly every five to 10 years depending on fluctuations in the economic situation,” a government official said.
The official claimed it had nothing to do with the recent uproar over the mismanagement of the 2023 World Scout Jamboree.
(Yonhap)
