'Rebirth of "Lake of Death" Sihwaho as an Eco-Friendly Tourist Destination'

Establishment of Comprehensive Plan for Sihwa Lake Reflecting Opinions from Government and Local Authorities

The "Lake of Death," Sihwa Lake, is being reborn as an eco-friendly tourist destination. Going forward, the government will support pollution reduction facilities for companies located in nearby industrial complexes and work on improving water quality. Additionally, plans are underway to transform the area into a tourist spot by developing an international theme park and other attractions.

On the afternoon of the 17th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Environment held the 9th Land and Environment Policy Council meeting at the Samgyeong Education Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where they finalized the "Sihwa Lake Development Strategy Comprehensive Plan," according to an announcement on the 18th. The meeting was attended by Kim Ji-yeon, Director of Land Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Kim Tae-o, Director of the Nature Conservation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment; as well as officials from Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong City, and the Korea Water Resources Corporation.

Sihwa Lake is an artificial lake created between 1987 and 1994 through the construction of a seawall in Ansan, Hwaseong, and Siheung cities in Gyeonggi Province. It was formed through a large-scale reclamation project and is the second largest in size after Saemangeum.

With the establishment of the comprehensive plan, the government and the Korea Water Resources Corporation will support pollution reduction facilities for small businesses within the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex in Ansan City to improve the water quality of Sihwa Lake.

Through these water quality improvements, the lake is expected to shed its notorious reputation as the "Lake of Death." Since the completion of the seawall, the ecosystem has been destroyed due to the inflow of domestic sewage and factory wastewater containing heavy metals. Water pollution prevented fish and shellfish from surviving.

Carbon reduction efforts will also be promoted in the nearby industrial complexes. A smart green industrial complex and a carbon-neutral city will be built in the southern district of Sihwa Lake to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy production capacity. This will transform the Banwol Industrial Complex into a "100% Renewable Energy Use (RE100)" complex.

Development as a tourist destination will also proceed. An international theme park and the Turtle Island cultural facility will be constructed to revitalize commercial areas, and an ecological experience space will be created utilizing dinosaur fossil sites. To improve accessibility, expansion of the metropolitan public transportation system, including the Sinansan Line, and internal transportation networks in surrounding areas will be promoted simultaneously.

Additionally, development directions for reserved land will be established in connection with the Daesong district of Ansan City, and a healthcare complex will be planned in the Songsan Green City of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Meanwhile, this comprehensive plan was finalized based on key points announced at the Sihwa Lake 30th anniversary ceremony held on October 10. Since April, the government, local governments, and the Korea Water Resources Corporation have operated a Sihwa Lake comprehensive plan consultative body. Through this, three meetings were held to set priority directions and conduct inter-agency consultations.

With strategic collaboration between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Environment, the comprehensive plan has been finalized, reducing conflicts in project implementation. Until now, the Sihwa Lake area faced difficulties in smooth project progress due to environmental pollution issues from development and social conflicts among stakeholders.

Kim Ji-yeon, Director of Land Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "Marking the 30th anniversary of Sihwa Lake this year, we will ensure that related agencies and local governments cooperate during the project implementation process based on the comprehensive plan to make it a future city full of growth momentum."