Expectations among Korean construction companies are high as the Korea Rural Community Corporation completed the design of a seawall project to prevent flood damage in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July and is set to submit a final report to the local government by the end of this year.

In Indonesia, due to ground subsidence caused by rising sea levels and underground water development, the Jakarta coast is sinking 18 centimeters on average every year. Even when dikes are built, seawater repeatedly crosses over into the embankment.

In order to prevent such ground subsidence, the Indonesian government has entrusted the design of the seawall to Korea, which has experience in building the Saemangeum seawall.

As the Korea Rural Community Corporation received orders from the Korea International Cooperation Agency for about 9 billion won ($7.5 million) in late 2016, it completed the design in July after conducting feasibility studies and basic designs.

Unlike the Saemangeum seawall, the KRCC said it designed the Jakarta project as an open seawall to allow seawater flow in and out of some 3.4 kilometer sections of the total 21.1 kilometers of seawalls by connecting five bridges.

If the Indonesian government decides on a final report to be submitted by the end of the year, Korean construction companies are expected to win orders for 16 trillion won worth of internal farmland as well as 4 trillion won worth of detailed design and seawall construction projects, the government agency said. 

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)