Drumming up Importance of Road

Int'l Road & Traffic Expo May 9-12 to facilitate info exchange on road building technology

Chairman Son Hak-lai of the Korea Road and Transportation Association, and also chairman of the Korea Expressway Corp. in a special E-mail interview with NewsWorld, said the association will stage the International Road and Traffic Expo on May 9-12 at KINTEX near Seoul. The international event, the second one since 2005, is part of the association's role to help its members in terms of their international exchange in the area of road construction technology and maintenance. He said also that the association designated July 7 as the "Road Day"in commemoration for the opening of the Seoul-Busan Expressway, which set a base for the country's economic take-off and the explosive development in the area of road and traffic industries.
The second ROTREX 2007 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, will have a space 50 percent larger than the one used during the first ROTREX in 2005. Events to be held during the expo will include the ministerial meeting of member countries of the REAAA and other international meetings that will be participated in by cabinet ministers and policy makers to make them excellent opportunities for the exchange of information and road construction technologies because they will have time for the exhibition of new road construction technologies and new products.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
Question: Can you tell our readers about the business plans pushed by the Korea Road and Transportation Association and their details?
Answer: The association since its establishment in 1966 has been working on design standards and road construction until now to upgrade the technology and the standardization of roads.
The association has been developing the environment-friendly road design technology in an effort to minimize the environmental damage from the highway construction so far.
The association has also published a white paper on highways containing a great collection of statistical information on roads and highways. It also plans to publish a white paper on policies, railroads,
logistics and aviation which are included in the private-investment projects so that it may be used as a reference to Korea's policies on private-investment in SOC projects. It also is carrying on with various studies on significant foreign government policies which will help the government in setting up major policies on social infrastructural projects in the country.
In April, 1999, the association hosted the 11th IRF World Conference in Seoul to promote the cooperation with foreign countries in the area of highway construction and upgrade the construction technology and by doing so boost our country's international image. The association also staged the 1998 5th ITS World Conference in Seoul in October, 1998, to help develop the ITS sector to an international level.
In October, 2001, the association played a key role in setting up the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australia(REAAA) and through its Korea branch, has been making efforts to strengthen the international cooperation in the area of road construction.
The association has also been participating in various international meetings on road to secure latest technologies, and in addition, it has made a positive progress in strengthening the friendly relations including the technology exchange with China through the Korea-China Road Cooperation Council.
In this age of high-tech information, the association has also been working on turning a new chapter in the technology exchange in the area of road transportation and has been observing "Road Day"on July 7 annually with ceremonies to drum up the importance of road construction and maintenance. On July 7, 1970, the Seoul-Busan Expressway opened for traffic, opening the age of highways in Korea, bringing a drastic development in road and transportation areas, providing a base for the nation's rapid economic take-off.
The day is an occasion for road construction technicians for celebration for recalling their unyielding spirit in overcoming technological and economic difficulties to complete the gigantic project and reconfirm the dedication of those "Road people"and organizations for the development of the nation's highways. Seminars and discussions on road construction technology, policies and new academic findings are held on the day as part of the celebratory event every year.
Q: In 2005, the expo on road transportation took place at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, in which some 12,000 domestic viewers and 250 foreign visitors took part in the great event and through a seminar on road transportation, the event made a great contribution to the development of road and transportation. How would the 2007 International Road and Traffic Expo scheduled for May 9-12 at KINTEX be organized?
A: The second ROTREX 2007 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, will have a space 50 percent larger than the one used during the first ROTREX in 2005. Events to be held during the expo will include the ministerial meeting of member countries of the REAAA and other international meetings that will be the excellent opportunities for the exchange of information and road construction technologies because they will have time for the exhibition of new road construction technologies and new products.
The international event will have the support of the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, the Korea Expressway Corp., and the National Police Agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, altogether 18 organizations in all, and it will have some 150 companies at home and abroad participating. The expo will display products, equipment, and systems related to the road traffic industrial areas, along with relevant information.
Also scheduled are HORA meeting to be participated in by road leaders from Asia and Oceania and board of directors meeting of REAAA to exchange road related information and the discussions on common issues.
In addition, many foreign buyers will come to the event to have a look at the Korean road and traffic technologies and hold talks with domestic companies on business deals.
The expo will have booths for road construction and maintenance, traffic signs and safety installations, ITS and parking control, car repairs and equipment, and service and others. It will also have auxiliary facilities including E-cafe, and a business center and waiting lounges.
The curtain for the event will go up at 11 a.m. May 9 at KINTEX third floor with some 500 dignitaries present led by Minister of Construction and Transportation, chairman of the National Assembly Construction and Transportation Committee and VIPs from home and abroad invited to the international event.
Q: Korea is likely to play an important role with the construction of Asian Highway in the area of highways connecting other countries. In this context, the need for the exchange of information on road technology will increase for our country. What are you planning to do during the expo in the area of expanding the international cooperation in the area of highway construction?
A: UN ESCAP decided to bring up the subject of building Asian Highway as part of the land transportation development in Asia in 1992. In April 26, 2006, UN ESCAP general conference held in Shanghai, China, has decided to promote the project as agreed among the countries in the region. So far, many Asian countries signed the approval for the project including Korea, Japan, China, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, Mongolia, Russia, and Iran, among others. North Korea, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan and Singapore are preparing to sign the agreement.
The purpose of the project is to develop close and friendly cooperative relations among different regions in Asia in terms of economy and social causes by building new main highways and repairing old existing ones connecting the regions.
At present, the highway is being built which will be some 140,000 km in total length with 55 highways linking some 32 countries in Asia. The highway will ultimately be linked with the European Road Network to speed up land transportation between Asia and Europe.
The upcoming Expo will drum up the significance of the Asian Highway among cabinet ministers and road organization leaders attending the HORA meeting and REAAA meeting. The highway when completed with also help inter-Korean relations in the areas of politics, economy, and culture as it will increase the exchange of goods, and people among the countries that the highway will pass through.
Q: The Korea Road and Traffic Association has been participating in a numerous international academic conferences and technology seminars for the sake of the development of roads in our country in the age of globalization. This year, too, a number of international meetings on roads are scheduled including HORA meeting and REAAA board of directors meetings. Can you tell our readers about the association's strategies to upgrade our country's global image in the area of road and traffic?
A: HORA has been taking its position as an important body in the area of road and traffic in the world since its establishment in Kuala Lumpur in 2002, holding a meeting every year taking on such important subjects related to roads and traffic and trying to solve them. The meetings were open to government officials above the director-general level of member countries in charge of road matters, officials of road management companies and road association members and directors of REAAA.
Q: What are some key points of the association's long-term vision?
A: The association will continue to provide information on technologies for road and traffic at home and abroad to member firms, in addition to carrying on with studies on specifications on roads and streamlining the design standards on a continuous basis. The upcoming ROTREX 2007 is a good example for how important the association is for its members, which is the second following the success of its initial event held in 2005. Internally, it will stimulate the further development of road technologies, while promoting their exports, further enhancing road technology levels in the country. nw

Chairman Son Hak-lai of the Korea Road and Transportation Association and Chairman of the Korea Expressway Corp.

(Photo from top)Booths for Korean companies participating in the first ROTREX 2005 held in KINTEX, near Seoul.
An inside view of the first ROTREX 2005.