The Future Values of the Korean Grand Canal Project

The fundamental objects of the Korean Grand Canal (KGC) Project are the rehabilitation(or restoration) of river corridor ecology, improvement of river water quality, reduction of flood damages, countermeasure of the huge rise in energy price and the high discharge of $CO_2$ due to the vast use of energy for highway logistics. The other important objects, like an increase of water in the river channel, are to provide people with the pleasure of seeing the water and intimacy (touchiness) with it, an increase of flood controllability, effects of dilution of river pollutants, dredging out sedimentary pollutant from the river bottom, the function of infrastructure to pare down the logistics (distribution) costs, and the opportunity to expand tourism. These kinds of fundamental concepts must be evaluated as future values in Korea and elsewhere.