Audit Results from Board of Audit & Inspection: "Dismantle Bo, Request Reconsideration"
Environmental Groups: "Obsessed with Political Gain... Minister Must Resign"
The Ministry of Environment's announcement that it will request a reconsideration from the National Water Management Committee regarding the decision to dismantle and permanently open the dams on the Geumgang and Yeongsangang Rivers, made during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, has sparked backlash from environmental groups.
This follows the Audit and Inspection Board's report on the 20th stating that the decision to dismantle and open the dams on the Geumgang and Yeongsangang Rivers was based on flawed economic analysis results, and that the process of forming the 'Four Major Rivers Investigation and Evaluation Planning Committee,' which was established to discuss dam management measures, was unfair.
On the same day, the Ministry of Environment announced plans to request the National Water Management Committee, which made the final decision on dam dismantling and opening in January 2021, to reconsider its resolution.
Additionally, the National Water Management Basic Plan, which reflects the dam dismantling plan, will be revised through the review of the National Water Management Committee. The National Water Management Basic Plan is the highest-level statutory water-related plan formulated every ten years by the Minister of Environment.
Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, stated, "The previous government's decision to dismantle the dams was hasty and irresponsible," and announced plans to preserve all 16 dams of the Four Major Rivers and normalize the operation of Sejong Dam and Gongju Dam.
Environmental groups criticized the Ministry of Environment's decision, saying, "They are solely focused on political interests, creating policies that suit the administration's tastes."
The Korea Environmental Council, a coalition of major domestic environmental organizations, issued a statement on the day, saying, "The Audit and Inspection Board only requested a more objective and scientific evaluation and did not recommend utilizing the dams created by the Four Major Rivers project as originally intended," and urged, "We demand the resignation of Minister Han, who is regressing with the times and trying to preserve her position as a political tool for the administration."
Regarding the Audit and Inspection Board's results, they argued, "Restoring the natural state of the Four Major Rivers was a public consensus pledge agreed upon even by conservative candidates during the 19th presidential election," and stated, "It is a natural procedure for various stakeholders, including civil society, to recommend appropriate personnel for natural restoration."
They added, "It is only natural to communicate with civil society, which has pointed out the algae problem for over ten years, in the formation of the Four Major Rivers Investigation and Evaluation Expert and Planning Committee," and condemned, "Even with a superficial audit, the truth that the Four Major Rivers project created stagnant water causing decay does not change."
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