Lee In-young "Inter-Korean Water Cooperation, a Fundamental Task for the Korean Peninsula Life Community"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 30th, Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, stated that inter-Korean water cooperation is a fundamental task for the life community on the Korean Peninsula, expressing hope that water cooperation will "open up the tightly blocked channels of dialogue and cooperation once again."

Minister Lee made these remarks in a video message at the '2021 Water-Detente Grand Forum' held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, saying, "If the South and North can jointly establish a permanent consultative body for water management and use, it will be possible to create a more sustainable institutional foundation for cooperation."

He emphasized that the 'line of connection' linking the divided South and North is precisely the shared rivers, pointing out that due to the special situation of division, the South and North have not been able to effectively respond jointly to damages caused by floods, droughts, and water quality deterioration.

He continued, "Inter-Korean water cooperation is one of the most basic and fundamental tasks for the life and safety community on the Korean Peninsula," stressing that water cooperation should begin by sharing disaster and emergency information related to water, including 'prior notification of dam discharge,' and responding together.

Minister Lee explained, "Water is also a key issue in humanitarian cooperation related to people's livelihoods," adding, "South Korea and the United States are concretizing humanitarian cooperation projects for North Korea, including drinking water and sanitation." He also noted, "The Han River Estuary is a space we should pay attention to in water-related cooperation," and predicted that if conditions are created, various inter-Korean cooperations can be promoted in the Han River Estuary.