Dive Brief:
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The developers of a huge retail complex in Seoul, South Korea, will experiment with a unique way to smooth the community’s collective ruffled feathers over the project, which has been blamed for sink holes and a drop in the water level of nearby Seokchon Lake: They’re going to park a 54-foot-tall rubber duck in the lake for a month.
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City officials have not come up with proof that the construction caused the problems. Still, the Lotte Group, whose complex will feature an 1,820-foot-tall skyscraper, is hoping the giant duck will “heal wounds” and “relieve tension” when it appears in time for a partial grand opening on Oct. 14.
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Artist Florentijn Hoffman’s rubber duck has waded in harbors and lakes around the world and attracted millions of visitors since 2007.
Dive Insight:
A Lotte Group official said the company has high hopes for the big yellow bird’s calming presence. “The purpose of the project is to settle some anxieties [caused by the construction] and give visitors a joyful experience through the image of a childhood toy,” the official said.