[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jo Hae-jin, a member of the Future United Party, emphasized that regarding the Four Major Rivers Project, "the evaluation has been completed over 10 years for the residents," and that no further evaluation or investigation is necessary.
On the 12th, Jo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "At the beginning of the project, the opposition was not from the residents but from people who had no stake in the region and were distant from the area, as well as environmental groups that influenced public opinion there," explaining this.
He stated, "(The Four Major Rivers Project) was a project that residents earnestly requested, and because evaluations were conducted by those without a stake or politically fluctuating trends, the evaluations changed with every administration," adding, "I believe the evaluation is finished, and if we were to evaluate again, it would be meaningful to hear directly from local residents and direct stakeholders."
Jo mentioned his constituency, including Miryang City, Uiryeong County, Haman County, and Changnyeong County, saying, "All four cities and counties border the Nakdong River," and "since they have frequently experienced dike overflows, embankment breaches, or flooding, the residents say that thanks to the Four Major Rivers Project and the absence of such incidents afterward, our hometown has prospered this time."
When Kim Jin-ae, a member of the Open Democratic Party, pointed out that residents of the Nakdong River area do not oppose the Four Major Rivers Project due to politicization, Jo responded, "Not only the Nakdong River but residents of all four major rivers do not oppose because they like this project so much," and argued, "They have been trapped in the cycle of flood damage for decades, and the Lee Myung-bak administration did what previous governments did not, fundamentally solving all problems."
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