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Luke's avatar

It's beyond maddening to see construction of rail projects in SK take so long--in particular, I find the seemingly-new and yet very common insistence on undergrounding railroad projects to be very frustrating, and more than a bit confusing.

I grant that Korea's urban form and transportation paradigm isn't Japan's, for a long list of reasons that I don't need to explain to you. However, you look at the planned routes of things like the Wirye-Sinsa line, and they parallel extremely wide roads. Why not build elevated and save on costs, and build them faster? I know, too, that Korea might then have to contend with public opposition to this and it might not be any faster (nor consequently any cheaper), but it is possible, in any case.

Pair that with things like the perennial push to underground the Gyeongbu line throughout Seoul, and I can't help but wonder why--given the plethora of successful domestic examples of rail-oriented development--Korea is so insistent on burying its rail, given all the downsides.

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J M Hatch's avatar

35 years ago a friend who was married to a Korean started to tell me about Korean Real Estate, Marriage Dowery, etc. Back then all I could think was "Something wicked comes this way." It was like Das Capital and Life in Feudal Europe had a baby. Now that baby had (a) baby(ies).

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