'Development of Road-Related Technologies'
Int'l Road & Traffic Expo 2005, the first of its kind in Korea

Various events were held on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of Road Day including exhibitions and international conferences on road transportation. Such events further enriched the anniversary in terms of both quantity and quality.
Following are the full contents of an interview with Park Rae-son, Korea Highway Corporation's executive director in charge of technology development, that was conducted prior to the anniversary day.
Question: The ceremony for this year's Road Day is expected to draw many people from various sectors of society and have many kinds of events. Would you first introduce outstanding figures participating in the ceremony?
Answer: The main event will be the ceremony for Road Day while others will include the Joint Technical Conference 2005, international exhibition and international symposium July 6- 10. The Joint Technical Conference 2005 will see 30 participants from six nations - South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia - which will engage in in-depth discussion under the theme of "Road management system in the event of natural disaster."The main ceremony for Road Day will attract noted figures from the National Assembly including chairman of the Construction and Transportation Committee, the Construction and Transportation Ministry, Korea Highway Corporation, schools and associations.
The international exhibition will attract foreign figures like vice transportation minister of Sri Lanka, vice information, transportation and construction minister of Laos and vice construction minister of Mongolia. The nation's construction and transportation minister will also attend the ceremony.
The international exhibition will be the first event of its kind in the nation with176 companies operating a total of 350 booths to publicize their state-of-the-art road-related technologies. Some 20,000 people are likely to visit the exhibition site.
The international conference will begin with an opening ceremony with many outstanding figures like the construction and transportation foreign dignitaries attending.
Participants will make presentation on linking of road network among East Asian nations with focus on road asphalting, tunneling, groundwork and bridge building. They will also concentrate on ways of promoting cooperation and exchanges of technologies in the transportation area among relevant nations.
Question: The current International Road & Traffic Expo 2005 is reckoned as one of representing global events held in the nation. Would you comment regarding the meaning of the fair?
Answer: Sure. The fair will be held July 7-10 at the KINTEX (Korea International Trade and Exhibition) in Ilsan under the theme of "Advanced Technology and Safety on the Road."A total of 174 companies will take part in the exhibition with 135 booths. Items on display will cover everything related to road transportation like road construction, maintenance and repair, safety equipment, traffic signs, parking facilities, service and others. Participants will be able to see at a glance the most recent trend pertinent to road and related technologies. Other items to be displayed will include intelligent transportation system and related technologies and products.
Question: Can you introduce main businesses of the KHC? technology bureau?
Answer: First, we are focusing on yielding profits through the management of highways and private-funded roads. Further, we have been in charge of the design and management of environment-friendly expressways. Other missions include the research and development of road-related technologies and accumulating knowledge assets.
Question: How about the progress in construction of private-funded highways?
Answer: Now the two roads between Seoul and Incheon International Airport (40.2km) and between Cheonan and Nonsan (81.0km) are currently in use. Other five routes are now under construction between Daegu and Busan, Ilsan and Toegyewon, Seoul and Chuncheon, Incheon Bridge, and Seosuwon, Osan and Pyeongtaek. We also plan construction of other 10 routes linking Pyeongtaek and Suwon, for instance.
Question: What?e your basic policies in constructing and designing roads. Would you comment on the relevant standardization?
Answer: Highways are constructed according to specifications and design requirements stipulated by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and Korea Highway Corporation. Geometrical structures like curve radius and speed-reducing or speeding-up routes are constructed in accordance with related regulations. Additionally, there are so many guiding principles regarding the construction of various car and road safety facilities. Standardization has been pursued with the goal of effectively reducing the period needed for overlapped and repeated construction. To that end, some 440 items have been mapped out to speed up the standardization in the construction of highways. nw

Park Rae-son, KHC's executive director in charge of technology development