22 Jul 2002

Koreans have plans for holy walled city on Niue

10:35 am on 22 July 2002

A religious group based in Korea wants to build a 100 million Us dollar walled holy city on Niue.

In return, the Koreans say they will buy a jet, which would be used to set up an air service to the island.

The proposal has yet to be announced in Niue, but has come to light in reports following the return of Niue's Deputy Premier, Sani Lakatani, from a trip to the United States.

The Korean Scheme proposes an exclusive, guarded retreat, complete with temples and accommodation blocks for 600 people.

But our correspondent in Niue, Stafford Guest, says there is already resistance to such a scheme:

"My understanding is there have been some urgent meetings called by church leaders and other village leaders about this proposal and I understand there is some opposition to it from the very village where they are proposing to set up this walled, holy city."