As of today I drop all objections to President Lee Myung-bak’s canal project for the sole reason that North Korea objects to it:
North Korean media heaped scorn Sunday on new South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s plan to build a cross-country canal, a project that is being hotly debated here ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.
The unusual commentary by the Japan-based pro-Pyongyang Web site “Uriminjokkiri” comes as North Korea is stepping up its criticism of the conservative government in Seoul that took office in February with a vow to take a harder stance toward the communist North.
The 450-kilometer-long canal, which would link Seoul with Busan, South Korea’s second largest city on the south coast, was one of Lee’s major campaign pledges in the December presidential election. [Yonhap]
Anything North Korea objects to must be a good thing. What Kim Jong-il probably really hates about Lee’s canal is that the money going to build it is supposed to be going to him. This is really just another attempt to create an election issue before this month’s South Korean parliamentary elections which is making North Korea look more and more pathetic.
Popularity: 3%
6:49 am on March 31st, 2008 1
“What Kim Jong-il probably really hates about Lee’s canal is that the money going to build it is supposed to be going to him.”
I could not stop laughing after I read that sentence. It is soo true.
1:44 pm on March 31st, 2008 2
What is sad is that I’m not joking, I am totally serious when saying that. It is good to see the South Korean government actually not giving into North Korean demands for once.
2:15 pm on March 31st, 2008 3
Why DPRK cares about the domestic inter waterway ROKG project? There so many canal projects in DPRK per KCNA reporting and other DPRK websites, ROKG never complained about DPRK inter waterway project when it was building.
3:16 pm on March 31st, 2008 4
The DLP is against Lee’s canal thus North Korea is trying to make it an election issue before this month’s elections to cut into the GNP’s votes. Like I said before though, they also realize that any ROKG money put into the canal is less money for them. So the Norks have plenty of reasons to be against this canal.
9:45 am on April 1st, 2008 5
8:17 pm on April 9th, 2008 6
[...] This is a huge win for Lee which could be even bigger if his party secures a 170 seats which would mean they can push through the national assembly Lee’s canal idea, which is sure to displease North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. [...]