Long time no Ieodo claims from China!
For the Dokdo-esque fight between Korea and China over this obscure underwater territory known as Suyan Rock in Beijing, see "Korea on the rocks part II". Since Ieodo is underwater, it cannot be seen on a map*, but I positioned it (supposedly 32.122953, 125.182447) on Seoul Village map:
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The revival of such claims doesn't come as a surprise: Chinese fishing boats have recently tested South Korean nerves, the ongoing crisis culminating last December, when a Chinese fisherman stabbed a Korean coast guard to death. China has also been flexing its navy muscles across the globe, patrolling the seas with brand new fleets.
Just like with Japan and Dokdo, nationalism and politics are only part of the show: it's also about territorial waters and fishing zones, and China's catching up with its neighbors in fish and meat consumption... So skirmishes and provocations are bound to multiply.
Note that on the other side of the peninsula, Korea claimed a symbolic victory last month, when French publisher Larousse decided to switch for a balanced label to designate the body of water separating Korea from Japan: "Sea of Japan" now only appears in parentheses after the actual name, "East Sea"**.
Brace up for Ieodoisms, folks: fancy documentaries about rare planctons roaming the area? daily weather reports? 'Ieodo is Korean' bumper stickers?... you name it!
Be quick: someone may rename it.
Seoul Village 2012
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* even if Koreans planted a Korean Ieodo Ocean Research Station to mark the territory, without waiting for a verdict from global warming.
** "French Encyclopedia Publisher Adopts 'East Sea' Denomination" (Chosun Ilbo, February 20, 2012)
Showing posts with label East Sea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Sea. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Take a ride on the wild side (Peace Bicycle Nuri Road)
The first 43 kilometers of the Peace Bicycle Nuri Road will open by the end of this year and by 2015, it should run sea to sea all along the DMZ, for 495 kilometers, doubling the existing leisure road and some mountain paths*.
The first 43 km will cover 3 "gun" (counties) of Gangwon-do, starting from the East :
- Goseong-gun (North of Sokcho, a county between the mountains and the East Sea, blessed with beaches, temples, lakes and hiking trails) : 7 km near the Nangman "romantic" road
- Yanggu-gun (a county mixing war scars and beautiful sceneries) : 20 km around Dutayeon (두타연), North of Dosolsan and very close to the border, deep into the mountains. Among the touristic spots : Dutayeon Pond, Dutayeon Falls, observation posts, NK Infiltration Tunnel...
- Hwacheon-gun (a mountainous county crossed by the Northern arm of the Han river) : 16km near the Peace Dam (Pyeonghwaeui Dam) over the North Hangang in Hwacheon-eup.
Eco-tourists will have a better access to Gangwon-do wonders. Of course, this first batch is not a continuous line yet : each stretch is too short to reach the next one, and to link Goseong-gun with Yanggu-gu you need to cross Inje-gun. But eventually, ambitious bikers will be able to ride all along the Demilitarized Zone, with eight stops along the way, specifically designed** to welcome them.
Bicycle infrastructure are a major concern for the MOPAS (Ministry of Public Administration and Safety), which plans to boost usage from 1.2% to 5% of the transport mix between 2009 and 2012 across the country. Bicycle paths will be expanded from 9,170 to 17,600 km and penetration rate for bicycles is expected to double from 16.6% to 30.0%.
A lot of money will be invested, and business opportunities reach beyond infrastructures and eco-tourism : until recently, the bulk of bikes were imported but local manufacturers like Samchuly keep improving and are receiving all the attention from authorities.
As China embraces the automobile age, Korea rediscovers the virtues of the "petite reine". The Pyongyang-Seoul line will probably take more time...
Seoul Village 2010
* see Korea.net ("Gov't to build bicycle path along DMZ" - 20100209)
** Please, make these as discreet and environmental friendly as possible : genuine eco-tourists don't want bike parking lots blaring the county anthem with a glass building topped with the colorful county character...
The first 43 km will cover 3 "gun" (counties) of Gangwon-do, starting from the East :
- Goseong-gun (North of Sokcho, a county between the mountains and the East Sea, blessed with beaches, temples, lakes and hiking trails) : 7 km near the Nangman "romantic" road
- Yanggu-gun (a county mixing war scars and beautiful sceneries) : 20 km around Dutayeon (두타연), North of Dosolsan and very close to the border, deep into the mountains. Among the touristic spots : Dutayeon Pond, Dutayeon Falls, observation posts, NK Infiltration Tunnel...
- Hwacheon-gun (a mountainous county crossed by the Northern arm of the Han river) : 16km near the Peace Dam (Pyeonghwaeui Dam) over the North Hangang in Hwacheon-eup.
Eco-tourists will have a better access to Gangwon-do wonders. Of course, this first batch is not a continuous line yet : each stretch is too short to reach the next one, and to link Goseong-gun with Yanggu-gu you need to cross Inje-gun. But eventually, ambitious bikers will be able to ride all along the Demilitarized Zone, with eight stops along the way, specifically designed** to welcome them.
Bicycle infrastructure are a major concern for the MOPAS (Ministry of Public Administration and Safety), which plans to boost usage from 1.2% to 5% of the transport mix between 2009 and 2012 across the country. Bicycle paths will be expanded from 9,170 to 17,600 km and penetration rate for bicycles is expected to double from 16.6% to 30.0%.
A lot of money will be invested, and business opportunities reach beyond infrastructures and eco-tourism : until recently, the bulk of bikes were imported but local manufacturers like Samchuly keep improving and are receiving all the attention from authorities.
As China embraces the automobile age, Korea rediscovers the virtues of the "petite reine". The Pyongyang-Seoul line will probably take more time...
Seoul Village 2010
* see Korea.net ("Gov't to build bicycle path along DMZ" - 20100209)
** Please, make these as discreet and environmental friendly as possible : genuine eco-tourists don't want bike parking lots blaring the county anthem with a glass building topped with the colorful county character...
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