The National Parks Commission has given its approval on the construction of tunnels that would go through Mt. Gyeryong and Mt. Songni. The concerns people had about what would happen if they built the Seoul Rotary Expressway through Mt. Bukhan National Park are turning out to have been well founded. The first domino fell and the rest are following one by one. The expressway through Mt. Gyeryong was pursued through less-than-aboveboard means that ignored principle, and is a classic example of the forced construction of expressways. At Mt. Songni as well, they are going to dig a tunnel to save 20 minutes of travel time. This is supposed to be the Environment Ministry's National Parks Commission, so it has abandoned its duties by approving of tunnel construction.

The four-lane tunnel through Mt. Gyeryong was based from the start on incorrect information, namely that there would be a heavy amount of traffic and therefore have to be wide, but the traffic that was based on was performed at a spot 10 kilometers away from where the tunnel is supposed to be built. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the tunnel area was done in a haphazardly fashion, but it was approved without any problems. They were not concerned with how other roads have been built through the area and subsequently traffic has been dispersed since plans were initially developed. Construction that began in 1999 long ago reached to within 500 meters of the border of the Mt. Gyeryong National Park. They're forcing the project along as if it is established fact that it will be completed.

The Construction and Transportation Ministry and other participants in the expressway construction project are insisting that the tunnels will be built based on environmentally friendly methods of construction as they dig into national parks. However, there is no disagreement among the experts that tunnels through areas that are national parks cost little in the way of compensation for land owners and can get a lot of funding. That says something of who construction of tunnel routes in national parks are really for.

The continuous cycle of getting the necessary permits through roundabout means and then indiscriminately ruining national parks because "decisions have already been made" must be put to an end. If the patter continues, it will only be a matter of time before our national parks are sliced into pieces with new roadways. Construction at Mt. Gyeryong and Mt. Songni needs to be reconsidered even if it means reversing the commission's decision.

The Hankyoreh, 3 December 2004.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]