Mr.

Na Jeong-ju

Staff Reporter

Korea Times

jj@koreatimes.co.kr

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Dear Sir

I have read your article about the Hyundai company intention to build a factory in the Czech Republic (" Farmers Snag Hyundai's Czech Car") and I like it. I am in the center of the proceedings here in the Czech Republic and I have the following update for you.

The Hyundai company and some Czech state authorities attempt to build a new car factory in the Czech Republic. Two places are available - Nosovice and Mosnov. The first place, Nosovice, is QUITE UNACCEPTABLE for some Czech people, farmers and ecologists. The second place, Mosnov, is QUITE ACCEPTABLE nearly for everybody, it is already an industrial zone with good infrastructure, airport etc. Nevertheless, it seems that the Hyundai management together with some Czech authorities all the time insists on destroying beautiful piece of land in Nosovice and to build the factory there. I am asking why? Because the Korean managers want to have a beautiful outlook from their office windows on the mountains? Or because, in winter, they want to have the everyday skiing quite near?

Here are the facts.

1.

The factory is to take an area round 270 ha. This is quite large area. At present, at Nosovice, it is a beautiful piece of land, where the farmers grow up the well known cabbage and produce the delicious sauerkraut (kraut, slaw) from it. This product bears the name "Nosovicke kysane zeli". This name is protected in the Czech Republic (official recognized protection by the Czech state, protection of the designation of the origin) and the application for protection in the EU is proceeded by the European Counsel in these times (the application was passed there by the corresponding authorities of the Czech state). The properties of this sauerkraut are really exceptional. Not only the taste, but it was officially measured and objectively analysed, that some properties, like pH, acetatic acid, milk acid etc. are different in Nosovice sauerkraut from other sauerkrauts. And these properties are given by the location Nosovice, where the cabbage is grown up. When the growing would be moved elsewhere, these properties would be lost and the production of this excellent sauerkraut food would be finished. That is why we are protecting our local production and we do not want ANY GLOBAL FACTORIES, like Hyundai, in this location. We fight against the globalization, which is quite harmful in this case.

2.

Most of the land IS NOT owned by the state, most of the land has PRIVATE OWNERS. And it is absolutely unacceptable in democratic society to make private owners to sell their lands. It means, that the Czech government and the authorities CAN NOT expropriate the lands. And some farmers in the area do not want to sell their lands, they declare, that they will NEVER SELL, they refuse to negotiate and they even refuse to meet with the authorities. So most probably, the plan to build a factory in Nosovice is finished.

4.

The farmers cooperative, which grows up the cabbage and produces the sauerkraut, is profitable, it has good business and even export. So that they have no ground to sell the land. They are proud farmers and they do not want to change into "slaves" to work 24 hours per day in some car factory. And they also do not want to make "slaves" from their children, grandchildren etc.

5.

The present area, 270 ha, represents agricultural land, the cabbage consumes CO2 from the air and produces oxygen. This means that also this area prevents a bit the dangerous global warming (the consequences of the global warming can be already felt all over the world). And now the Hyundai management together with some Czech authorities want to change this agricultural land into "concrete jungle", into devastating car production. In this region of the Czech Republic, there was already big flood, caused probably by the global warming. So very probably the nature has shown the people (in front) possible consequences, if they would continue to destroy the living environment.

If the Hyundai company would like to build a factory in Mosnov, the second possible location in the Czech Republic, they are welcome. On the other side, if they would like to build a factory in Nosovice and to destroy the environment and nature there, I and other people in the Czech Republic will do our best to prevent them from realizing this intention.

I, and other Czech people, like the South Korea and the South Korean people, we know, that (in the opposition to the North Korea) you are a democratic country, with good industry and agriculture, with good soccer team. We also know, that you are facing the war from the side of your north neighbor and we admire your courage to bear this situation for so many years. But at present, I hate the Hyundai company, since it is, according to me, one of the largest living environment destroyers in the world. The management of the Hyundai company behaves quite arrogant (chesty). The Hyundai company makes a very bad service to the reputation of the South Korea in Czech Republic, Europe and all over the world.

Please publish this text. Please, ask South Korean people to prevent the Hyundai management to behave like this. Please ask them not to build a factory in Nosovice, please ask them no to destroy the living environment of our earth.

Thank you, best regards

Ing. Petr Hejl, CSc.

Ondrouskova 15, 63500 Brno, Czech Republic

mobil: (+420) 608 374 535 - fax: (+420) 5 4113 4614

email: phejl@lednice.org - WWW: www.lednice.org

The text above is a commentary, contains subjective points of view, not necessarily objective statements.