April 24, 2002

Multilingual 119
    Emergencies aren’t just for Koreans anymore. When you dial 119 (the local emergency number) operators capable of speaking in English, Japanese, and Chinese are now available. Plans are underway to increase the number of languages offered by 119, an expansion motivated by the anticipated large influx of foreigners to Pusan for the World Cup and Asian Games.

Shortage of Industrial Space
    According to the southeast regional industrial agency, by the year 2004, there will be no publicly held industrial space in Busan. The recent economic recovery has caused a surge in industrial construction. More than 70 companies have expressed interest in building new factories in Pusan. However, there is not enough space to accommodate them all so local officials have planned an auction to award the remaining spaces. Plans are also underway to open a new subsidized industrial park with 600,000 hectares of space, but this will not open until 2005. There is a significant amount of unused privately held land in Sassang-gu, Buk-gu, Geumjeong-gu, and Saha-gu, but property values are so high in Pusan that most businesses cannot afford to build here.

Unprepared for Increased Air Travel
    According the Pusan Ilbo, an unnamed city official has stated that despite ongoing renovations, airport facilities in Busan will be inadequate for future travel needs. He states further that rather than developing plans to build a new airport, the local government and the national department of transportation and construction are sitting idly by. According to current estimates, air travel will exceed capacity by 2010, when more than 6 million passengers are expected to use the airport annually. Current renovations, which will be completed in 2005, were designed to accommodate only 2 million passengers a year. Local officials acknowledged that this problem exists, but said that building a new airport at this point is too idealistic; they also expressed a lack of confidence in the projected numbers for 2010.

Port Construction to Begin in October
    The City of Busan expects to spend 11.8 billion won on the construction on a new multipurpose port, beginning in October of this year. The project, which will include the construction of several small bridges and access roads, is slated for completion in 2007.

Busan - Free Trade Zone?
    Last month, the national government designated several areas,including Cheju-do, Yeongjeongdo (near Incheon), and Gimpo recovered land area, as international free trade zones. Busan Metropolitan City officials have expressed disappointment that Busan was not included. Park Myoung Heum of the Pusan Development Institute said of the national governments’s decision: “The Seoul metropolitan area (which received the bulk of free trade designations) is like an obese patient, whereas Busan is like a mal-nutritioned one." He said that the major Southern cities of Busan and Gwangju should also be considered for designation as free trade zones. In response to criticism from many citizens in the southern part of Korea, the national government has promised to re-scrutinize the free trade zone decisions and announce modifications as soon as possible.

Translation provided by Ha Sun Ha & Jiyeon Song

Copyright © 2002 Worldbridges    Copyright Policies