Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin: "We will establish a 'Win-Win Fund' for joint use of Nakdong River water intake sources"

Ministry of Environment's Statement Ahead of 'Nakdong River Integrated Water Management Service Report Meeting'
Five Provincial Governors Reach Consensus on Nakdong River Water Management Plan as Part of the 'Korean New Deal'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] As discussions on relocating the water intake source in Daegu for securing safe water are shifting towards 'diversification,' Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin proposed a win-win fund creation card on the 3rd, stating, "We will withdraw the amount of water that can be secured from the jointly utilized water intake areas for the rational distribution of Nakdong River water."

In a statement released that day, Mayor Kwon said, "The necessary amount lacking here will be withdrawn from the current water intake site and supplied to citizens as the safest and cleanest tap water in Korea through a more advanced high-level water purification process," adding, "Daegu City will establish a win-win fund for the jointly utilized water intake areas."

Mayor Kwon's statement drew attention as it came ahead of the Ministry of Environment's 'Mid-term Report Meeting on the Integrated Water Management Plan for the Nakdong River Basin' scheduled for the 5th.

The government initiated two research projects, including the 'Development of an Integrated Water Management Plan for the Nakdong River Basin,' at the end of March last year. Since then, the central government and related local governments have promised to 'respect the research results as much as possible and continue cooperation.'

Daegu City has actively proposed to the Ministry of Environment a plan focusing on 'diversification' rather than 'relocation' of the water intake source. The Ministry of Environment is also reportedly considering a plan to draw water from the Gumi Haepyeong water intake or Andong Imha Dam and introduce ultra-high-level water purification facilities at Daegu Munsan and Maegok water intake stations. This plan is estimated to require a massive project cost of around 700 billion to 1 trillion KRW.

In his statement, Mayor Kwon declared, "The win-win fund for the jointly utilized water intake areas will support reducing the economic burden on residents suffering from regulations such as water source protection zones or promote convenience projects to improve residents' quality of life."

He also emphasized, "From the perspective of revitalizing the local economy, we will actively promote national projects and regulatory relaxation necessary for the jointly utilized water intake areas," adding, "We will also fulfill our responsibility to foster a sense of unity as a living community by activating cultural exchanges such as regular Daegu-Gyeongbuk Win-win Concerts."

Mayor Kwon appealed to related local governments and residents, saying, "Daegu has faced drinking water issues for a long time since the phenol incident in 1991. Water is directly linked to citizens' health and life, so securing a safe water intake source is an urgent and critical task that must be resolved."

Meanwhile, at the Yeongnam Future Forum held in Busan on July 27, the five provincial governors reached a consensus on including the integrated water management plan for the Nakdong River Basin in the Korean New Deal.

By proceeding with Nakdong River water management, including water intake source issues, as a New Deal project, it is expected that inter-provincial cooperation on a large scale will minimize conflicts among local governments and reduce procedures such as preliminary feasibility studies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.