Police Arrest 5 Environmental Group Members as On-the-Spot Offenders for Occupying Public Hearing on Preservation of Four Major Rivers Weirs

The police forcibly dispersed environmental groups who occupied the stage at the public hearing for the amendment of the Basic Water Management Plan to preserve the Four Major Rivers' weirs, and arrested some members of the environmental groups on the spot.

According to the police on the 5th, the Seoul Jungbu Police Station arrested five members of the environmental coalition Korean Environmental Conference, the "Four Major Rivers Restoration Citizens' Committee," and the "Geumgang and Yeongsangang Citizens' Action for Weir Removal" on charges of refusal to leave under the Criminal Act.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

They occupied the stage at the public hearing venue at Space Share Seoul Jungbu Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, 25 minutes before the first public hearing on the amendment of the National Water Management Basic Plan scheduled for 3 p.m. that day.

The National Water Management Committee, under the direct control of the president and hosting the public hearing, warned the environmental groups that the occupation could be considered "obstruction of business" and punishable, demanding that they leave, but the demand was not accepted. The committee even deployed separate security personnel to proceed with the hearing that day.

At around 3:20 p.m., the police deployed officers to disperse the environmental group members on the stage and arrested those who remained on the stage until the end.

Meanwhile, on the 20th of last month, the Board of Audit and Inspection announced an audit result stating that the previous government's decision to dismantle and keep open the Geumgang and Yeongsangang weirs was unreasonable, and in response, the Ministry of Environment immediately announced that all Four Major Rivers' weirs would be preserved.