'One Year of Illegal River and Valley Cleanup'... Lee Jae-myung "Full Support for Clean Attractions"

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated on the 25th at the 'Final Inspection of Clean Valleys and Residents' Meeting' held at Yongchu Valley in Gapyeong Yeoninsan Provincial Park, "We will spare no effort to provide full support so that the cleanly transformed valley can become a high-quality attraction."

On the day, Governor Lee said, "It was something we thought was impossible, but after doing it, many residents actually feel refreshed," adding, "Starting this summer, it is expected to change so that people can enjoy a high-quality life in a legal and clean environment in line with modern tourism trends."

He continued, "We will do our best to support convenience facilities and eco-friendly facilities in Gyeonggi Province so that more tourists visit and residents' lives improve, making people think 'It was good to do this.' However, if anyone refuses to cooperate and resists, strict measures such as forced demolition will be taken," he warned.

The meeting was arranged to conduct a final inspection of the clean valley and river restoration projects in the province, which are currently in the final stages, marking one year since Governor Lee pledged in June last year to "return clean rivers and valleys to the residents."

Governor Lee inspected the Yongchu Valley maintenance site with provincial ambassador No Jeong-ryeol and exchanged opinions on future development directions after the restoration project with Kim Seong-gi, Mayor of Gapyeong County; Lee Yong-cheol, Deputy Governor for Administration; Song Ki-wook, Chairman of Gapyeong County Council; Kim Kyung-ho, Provincial Assembly member; Lee Moon-seop, head of Seungan 2-ri; and local residents.

Residents expressed their welcome and expectations for the cleanly transformed valley and made suggestions regarding measures to prevent illegal dumping, sustainable environmental restoration, smooth implementation of relocation measures, improvement of road conditions, and expansion of tourism infrastructure.

So far, the province has identified 1,482 illegal facilities in 190 valleys and rivers across 25 cities and counties, and has demolished about 94% of them, excluding 50 residential facilities, 3 suspension orders, and 38 newly identified sites.

Gapyeong, visited by Governor Lee, has identified 920 sites and demolished 898 of them, excluding 20 residential facilities and 2 suspension orders, showing a high restoration rate of 97.6%.

The province plans to complete relocation and facility maintenance work by city and county by next month and will also strengthen post-management activities such as waste disposal and monitoring to prevent the recurrence of illegal facilities by utilizing river watchers and valley guardians.

In particular, after collecting residents' opinions, the province is promoting the 'Essential Convenience Facilities Living SOC Project for Clean Valley Restoration Areas' to provide practical help for local economy and tourism revitalization.

The province will first invest a total of 62 billion KRW, including 25.4 billion KRW in special adjustment grants, to build eco-friendly walking trails, waterside decks, rest areas, restrooms, parking lots, and other facilities in 13 valleys and rivers across 11 cities and counties such as Gapyeong, Pocheon, and Yongin.

For 12 locations including Eobi Valley, Baegun Valley, and Jangheung Valley, convenience facilities such as restrooms, parking lots, and access stairs are planned to be completed before the start of the vacation season.

Meanwhile, the changed appearance of rivers and valleys and the achievements so far can be checked through photos and information graphics on the 'Gyeonggi Province Clean Valley Homepage (www.gg.go.kr/cleanvalley)'.