Mayor Kim Kyungil and Assembly Member Park Jung Demand
'K-water Accountability, Official Apology, and Substantial Compensation' for Water Supply Disruption
Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on November 17 that, following 46 hours of widespread water supply leakage and service interruption that began on the 14th and caused severe inconvenience for residents, it held discussions with National Assembly member Park Jung, senior officials from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Korea Water Resources Corporation regarding the circumstances of the accident, the progress of restoration, identified issues, and future countermeasures.
Kim Kyungil, Mayor of Paju City, and Park Jung, Member of the National Assembly, held a meeting on the 17th with the Korea Water Resources Corporation to determine responsibility, issue an apology, and discuss compensation measures regarding the metropolitan water supply leakage accident in Goyang City. Provided by Paju City
Attendees at the meeting included Park Jung, Member of the National Assembly; the Director of Water Use Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment; the Head of the Waterworks Division and the Head of the Hangang Regional Headquarters at the Korea Water Resources Corporation; the Director of the Waterworks Development Office; the Head of the Hangang Waterworks Center; the Mayor of Paju City; the Director of the Environmental Bureau; and the Head of the Waterworks Department. During the meeting, Paju City and the Korea Water Resources Corporation each explained the circumstances of the incident, the initial response process, restoration actions taken, and the problems encountered.
Paju City emphasized that the incident was not merely a leakage issue, but a serious matter in which the lack of early notification and the Korea Water Resources Corporation's unannounced valve shutdown led to the widespread expansion of damage to citizens.
In particular, Paju City strongly pointed out the Korea Water Resources Corporation's responsibility, stating, "The failure to immediately inform Paju City of the initial leakage and the unilateral shutdown of the metropolitan supply valve without any consultation were decisive factors that maximized the damage to citizens."
In this regard, the city stressed the need for an authoritative investigation into the cause of the accident at the central government level, stating, "An internal investigation by the Korea Water Resources Corporation alone cannot fully restore public trust. Therefore, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and other central government agencies must officially investigate the cause of the accident and clearly determine responsibility."
Additionally, Paju City highlighted the significant inconvenience experienced by citizens, including widespread water outages, the financial burden of purchasing bottled water, restrictions on tap water use, and damage to businesses and daily life. The city demanded that the president of the Korea Water Resources Corporation issue a sincere and official apology directly to the citizens of Paju.
Furthermore, the city urged the Korea Water Resources Corporation to go beyond uniform and perfunctory compensation and to establish practical and reasonable compensation measures that citizens can accept. Both Paju City and the office of National Assembly member Park Jung agreed that adequate compensation standards must be established for a range of damages, including bottled water purchase costs, water delivery vehicle support, business losses, and impacts on daily life.
Kim Kyungil, Mayor of Paju City, stated, "I deeply apologize for the great inconvenience and hardship this incident has caused our citizens." He added, "We take this situation very seriously and will thoroughly reform our administration."
He continued, "We will persistently demand that the Korea Water Resources Corporation, as the party responsible for the accident, take clear responsibility, issue an official apology, provide sufficient compensation, and present measures to prevent recurrence. We will ensure that citizens receive fair compensation for their legitimate damages."
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