Korean bishop opposes naval-base construction plan
August 17, 2011
Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju, South Korea, has issued a statement opposing the construction of a naval base on Jeju island.
The bishop said that the naval base would have a negative impact on the local environment, and the “astronomical” cost of the project—estimated at close to $1 billion—could not be justified. He argued against taking on a “long-term project in pursuit of short-term economic interest.”
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Posted by: Ut videam -
Aug. 17, 2011 7:09 PM ET USA
The "astronomical" cost of the project is misstated in this article by over three orders of magnitude. Reading the linked UCAnews article, we see that the price tag is estimated at 1 trillion Korean won, which equates to approximately $936 million at current exchange rates.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Aug. 17, 2011 6:11 PM ET USA
W/o this base, S. Korea will probably have to continue to depend on the US Navy to safeguard against the nuclear madman to the north. Why spend your own money when you can spend the US's? They might feel differently about this project were the US to pull out forces, citing our own very real economic issues. They won't be worrying about the environment if the north attacks, I guarantee.
