Assemblyman Kim Seung-nam Introduces Amendment Bill for Yeongsan and Seomjin River Basin Act

Only Residents Living Before Designation of Water Source Management Area (2006) Are Eligible for Living Environment Support Under Current Law
Residents Living for More Than 2 Years Should Also Be Included to Promote New Population Influx

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Congressman Kim Seung-nam (Jeonnam Goheung·Boseong·Jangheung·Gangjin) on the 12th introduced the "Yeongsan River and Seomjin River Watershed Water Management and Resident Support Act (Yeongsan River Seomjin River Watershed Act)" to prevent population extinction in the Yeongsan River and Seomjin River watershed areas designated as water source management areas.

The current law mandates indirect support projects that provide welfare promotion only to residents who lived in the area before the designation of the water source management area, and direct support projects that provide an annual subsidy of 1 million won.

The Yeongsan River and Seomjin River watershed areas have seen residents who lived there before the designation of the water source management area in 2006 leaving due to aging and rural exodus, and there has been no support for newly relocated residents, which has become an obstacle to population inflow into the water source management area.

Accordingly, the amendment includes residents who own land in the designated water source protection area and have lived there for more than two years after the designation as eligible for support projects.

Congressman Kim Seung-nam said, "In 2013, the number of households in the Yeongsan River and Seomjin River watershed areas was about 9,500, but last year it decreased significantly to about 6,500," adding, "We intend to realistically supplement the support targets that were unreasonably reduced by enforcement ordinances."