Moon Jae-in orders review of 4 rivers project

President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered a review of a mammoth rivers development project, a much-debated legacy of former President Lee Myung-bak.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae stressed the review would be a “policy inspection” on the 22 trillion won ($19.6 billion) national undertaking -- which a large proportion of the public still seems to disapprove of -- not a political vendetta targeting individuals.

The project, initiated in 2008 with a strong push from then-President Lee, required the rebuilding of 87 old dams, the construction of 16 new ones as well as the reinforcing of some 300 kilometers of riverbanks on the nation’s four main rivers.

Its aim was to prevent water shortages, improve water quality and create riverside tourism spots, but critics called it a clear failure with disastrous damage to the environment.

This will be the fourth round of inspection conducted by the government, coming after two under the Lee Myung-bak administration and one under his conservative successor Park Geun-hye.

“I believe many people think the previous inspections were not thorough enough,” said Kim Su-hyun, senior presidential secretary for social affairs, during a press briefing.

“(The upcoming inspection) is to review the process of execution and to learn a lesson of ensuring the compatibility, unity and balance of state policies,” he added. The Board of Audit and Inspection will lead the inspection and issue the results through a white paper, he added.

Former President Lee expressed regret toward the decision.

“The government should not dig into a previous administration’s project and make it into a subject of political bickering,” Lee said in a press release. “It would be wiser for it to study ways to best manage water, secured by the project, so as to address the ongoing drought.”

Environmental activists welcomed the move and called for the Moon administration’s continuous effort to address problems related to rivers.

After massive damming and dredging work, the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River and Youngsan River have become heavily afflicted by algae, turning into giant green pools every summer, said the activists.

Along with the reinvestigation, President Moon ordered the immediate release of six out of the total 16 dammed pools in the rivers, starting June 1.

The opening of another 10 pools will be decided depending on the outcome of future studies on their impact on the ecosystem, Cheong Wa Dae said.

“The reason we are not seeking an immediate release of all weirs is because it has been over five years since they have been created and many changes to the ecosystem have taken place since then,” it said.

The related government departments and agencies will be restructured based on roles and responsibilities, it said.

“The Environment Ministry will be the sole government office in charge of water supplies and quality, noting the Environment Ministry has so far only focused on water quality, while the Construction and Transportation Ministry dealt with water supplies,” Social Affairs Secretary Kim said at a press conference.

During his campaign, President Moon had repeatedly called the project a policy failure, vowing to get to the bottom of the flawed decision-making process and hold to account whoever was responsible.

“The inspection does not seek to expose the illegal activities of individuals, however, should any clear signs of illegal activities or corruption be identified in the process of the inspection, the government will take due measures,” Kim said.

Jung Kyu-seok, manager of environment policy at the civic group Green Korea, said that the government should bring the rivers back to their natural states as seen before the project.

“If the government has to remove weirs, they should do it one by one, considering the already damaged ecological system.”

“The government should address this issue from a long-term perspective and establish a restoration plan for the rivers,” said Jung.

According to a recent poll conducted on 1,074 Koreans aged 20 or over, 67 percent of the respondents were still against the river project, five years after the project was completed.

Another 73 percent said nature should be restored in and around the rivers, while 41 percent urged the immediate removal of weirs.

Almost 84 percent called for a cut in the budget for maintaining the river project, while 38 percent demanded the punishment of those involved in illegal activities or corruption.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)