County Inflates Average Tidal Range from 4.4m to 6.9m
Committee Criticizes "Exaggeration of Tidal Power Feasibility, Questions Sincerity as Election Tactic"
Regarding suspicions that Seocheon County in South Chungcheong Province inflated the average tidal range of the Geumgang Estuary in its local pledge proposal to the Lee Jae-myung administration, the Geumgang Estuary Natural Restoration Promotion Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) criticized it as a "false submission to increase the feasibility of the tidal current power generation project."
The Committee issued a statement on the 12th, pointing out, "The 'Geumgang Estuary Seawater Circulation and Renewable Energy Base Construction' project proposed by Seocheon County essentially refers to tidal current power generation. The average tidal range off the coast of Seocheon is only about 4.4 meters, but they submitted it as 6.9 meters. The tidal range is a key figure for tidal current power generation, so it is hard to believe their explanation that this was a simple mistake."
The Committee continued, "Governor Kim Kiwoong did not hold a single forum on seawater circulation at the Geumgang Estuary during his three years in office, but in June, he suddenly advocated for promoting seawater circulation and establishing a tidal current power generation base. This appears to be more of a move aimed at next year's local elections than a genuine policy shift."
Seocheon County issued a statement on the 12th regarding suspicions of false entries about the Geumgang Estuary in the local pledge proposal of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The Geumgang Estuary Natural Restoration Promotion Committee criticized it as a "false submission to increase the feasibility of the tidal current power generation project."
The Committee dismissed the plan as "unrealistic," stating, "If tidal current power generation is to be pursued, the sluice gates must be permanently opened. However, seawater would then flow up to 29 kilometers upstream, requiring the relocation of agricultural and industrial water intake facilities further upstream, which would cost several trillion won."
The Committee added, "A plan to create a brackish water zone of about 10 kilometers and connect the intake and pumping stations within that section to upstream water sources has already been studied and cost estimates have been completed. If Governor Kim wants to demonstrate sincerity, he must present specific implementation methods, strategies for adjusting stakeholder interests, and ways to gather local public opinion."
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