A Day to Remember

Various events held to commemorate a remarkable occasion in Korea's highway construction history

The 20th Road Day was celebrated in a ceremony held on July 7 at the Seoul Education and Culture Hall with some 1,100 government officials and construction industry executives in attendance led by Minister Kwon Do-youp of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM).
Road Day was inaugurated on July 7, 1992, when the Seoul-Busan Expressway was opened. This year's ceremony was an occasion for industries related to road construction to find ways to cope with changes in road construction around the world such as changes in the environment and climate that have been rapidly taking place.
Minister Kwon, who is a former president of Korea Expressway Corp., in his congratulatory speech at the ceremony, said the Seoul-Busan Expressway has been the backbone of the balanced national economic development for the past two decades, although at first its construction industry had to overcome many difficulties from such factors as the lack of funds, technology and concern from many corners of society.
He said he would like to pay his great respect to the road and transportation people for overcoming such tough times with a challenging spirit and he added that he would unveil the future of Korea's road policies on this occasion.
Today, advanced countries have been focused on the development of technologies to make roads environmentally friendly and a high-tech, green transportation systems and, at the same time, they have been making great contributions to boosting their global national images and their roles in international society.
By boosting their international images, they have been helping their business firms'advancement abroad and the development of road construction in their countries, the minister said.
To cope with these international trends, the government will continue to pursue green transportation policies by expanding investments in R&D activities to develop ITS that help improve the effectiveness of roads, Kwon said.
The Permanent International Association of Road Congress (PIARC) that we will host in 2015 in Korea will be an opportunity for us to publicize to the world our technologies for road construction as well as to upgrade Korea's image in the world. The government plans to provide support to make Korea an advanced country in the area of green roads by leading green road technologies, the minister said.
PIARC's has 119 member countries and is the biggest association for road construction firms around the world with a headquarters in Paris.
Side events at the road day ceremony included a forum for discussion entitled Roads that are with the People, To the World and to the Future, and a forum on road and construction technologies.
Because the size of our territory is quite limited compared to our population and the volume of the economy, we should maximize the productivity of our territory including the use of the ocean to remain one of the frontrunners in the current society of unlimited global competition. The territory, land and ocean are the ground for peoples'lives and the economic activities of enterprises, Minister Kwon said on the ministry's webpage.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Korea, promises to administrate our territory creatively and flexibly based on new paradigms and strategies so that more spaces are available for people's needs, Kwon said.
We will put all of our passion into undertaking given missions for an advanced nation such as maintaining a sustainable green territory with good balance and strong competitiveness, sufficient spaces of elegance and culture for people lives, the achievement of expected housing welfare, development of a worldwide logistics network for land and sea, the providence of fast and convenient transportation service, and the accomplishment of a competitive and advanced construction business. We as the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs shall be the Ministry loved by the nation because we satisfy the citizen's happiness and hopes, the new minister said. nw

Minster Kwon Do-youp delivers his speech at the ceremony for the 20th Road Day on July 7 at the Education and Culture Hall in Seoul.

President Chang Seok-hyo of Korea Expressway Corp. and also chairman of the Korea Road Association gives his speech at the Road Day ceremony.

Minister Kwon of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, President Chang Seok-hyo of Korea Expressway Corp. and former president Chung Sung-yol of KEC are seen here exchanging talks during the Road Day ceremony.

President Yoon Young-koo of Daelim Industry Co. makes a speech representing the construction industry during the Road Day ceremony following a toast calling for Na-Do-Ka-Ja country, road, home and self at a lunch at the ceremony.

Photos by NewsWorld