Lotte World Tower tops－off

롯데월드타워 대들보 얹어, 세계최고층건물5위
Korea′s tallest building，... also， the world′s fifth tallest skyscraper has topped－off its exterior construction.
Shin Se－min reports on what this building could mean to Korea in the long run.
Reaching closer to the sky，… the Lotte World Tower， the tallest skyscraper in Korea topped－off its building after five years of construction.
Chasing after Dubai′s Burj Khalifa and China′s Shanghai Tower，… the mega structure currently stands as the fifth tallest building in the world.
″Once the spire is put on top， the 123－story Lotte World Tower will become the FOURTH tallest skyscraper in the world，… at 555－meters tall，… outdoing New York’s One World Trade Center.″
The brainchild of Lotte Group′s founder Shin Kyuk－ho，… the high－rise will be set and fully operational a year later from now.
Located in the southern part of Seoul，… the tower will house a hotel， residences， offices and restaurants，… standing beside other Lotte landmarks， such as Lotte World Mall and the Lotte World amusement park.
″Lotte World Tower will be a tourist attraction allowing a panoramic view of Seoul′s Han－gang river. Once the construction is complete， we′re expecting at least two million visitors every year.″
Lotte Group is looking at some 680－million U.S. dollars′ worth of tourism income and give out 20－thousand jobs，… and 136－million dollars increase in tax revenue.
But still，… there are still major concerns over safety issues that have haunted the five－year－long project， with some still lingering，... such as water seepage from an aquarium holding 5－tons of water，… and a panel on the front gate going loose， falling on a visitor， ...all caused by faulty construction methods.
Fatal casualties have also made headlines during construction， including a recent death of a worker who fell while working on the exterior of the building. These reasons and more prompted the ministry of public safety and security and city officials to order special inspections of the building site.
Shin Se－min， Arirang News.
Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Facebook Page
/ newsarirang