[Summary] "Reevaluation of the Four Major Rivers Project" vs "Flood Damage as a Political Blame Issue" Political Circles Reignite Four Major Rivers Controversy

Record-breaking heavy rain... Unexpected '4 Major Rivers' appropriateness debate in politics
President Moon: "An opportunity to analyze whether the 4 Major Rivers dams control floods"

Around 12:50 PM on the 8th, the embankment of the Seomjin River near Geumgokgyo Bridge in Gwiseok-ri, Geumji-myeon, Namwon-si, Jeonbuk, collapsed, flooding the surrounding village. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As unprecedented heavy rains continue day after day, causing uncontrollable increases in human and material damage, an unexpected controversy over the appropriateness of the 'Four Major Rivers Project' has erupted in the political arena.

The United Future Party points out that the increased flood damage in areas such as the Seomjin River in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do, is largely due to the Democratic Party opposing the Four Major Rivers Project when it was in the opposition. In response, the Democratic Party actively refuted this, arguing that the Four Major Rivers Project is actually exacerbating flood damage.

In Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, where the Seomjin River is located, more than 400mm of rain fell over two days from the 7th to the 8th, causing embankments near Geumgokgyo Bridge in Namwon City and near the confluence of Godalcheon in Gokseong County to collapse on the 8th. Some in the political sphere suggested that this was because the Seomjin River area was excluded from the Four Major Rivers Project.

However, the next day (the 9th), nearly 300mm of concentrated heavy rain fell over two days in the Changnyeong County area of Gyeongnam Province, causing embankment collapses even in the Nakdong River, where the Four Major Rivers Project was implemented. Around 4 a.m. that day, an embankment near the Changnyeong-Haman Weir collapsed. This led to criticism that the weirs blocked water flow and caused the embankment failure, sparking a political dispute linking the embankment collapses on the Seomjin and Nakdong Rivers to the Four Major Rivers Project.

The photo shows emergency restoration work being carried out on the Nakdong River embankment near Jangcheon Drainage Pump Station in Ibang-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam, on the 10th. The embankment had collapsed due to heavy rain early the previous day. Photo by Yonhap News.

The opposition party emphasized that the Four Major Rivers Project during the Lee Myung-bak administration was ultimately the right direction.

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, said at a meeting with reporters on the morning of the 10th, "There were many discussions about the Four Major Rivers Project itself in the past," adding, "Some people said it was 'very fortunate' that the Seomjin River was excluded from the project, but after experiencing this flood, I think that was a wrong judgment."

The day before (the 9th), United Future Party lawmakers collectively called for a reevaluation of the Four Major Rivers Project.

Jeong Jin-seok, a United Future Party lawmaker, claimed on his Facebook that the Four Major Rivers Project could have reduced flood damage. He stated, "If the project had been expanded to tributaries and streams after completing the Four Major Rivers Project, we might have been able to better defend against the current flooding," and criticized, "The Moon Jae-in government is still aggressively trying to demolish the weirs installed in the Four Major Rivers Project. It is truly shocking and heartbreaking."

Lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung wrote on Facebook, "As the Seomjin River embankment collapse and river flooding continue, a reevaluation of the Four Major Rivers Project is underway," adding, "The Seomjin River basin suffered the greatest damage from this sudden heavy rain. If the Seomjin River had been included in the Four Major Rivers Project and the maintenance of tributaries and streams had continued, this disaster damage could have been greatly reduced."

He continued, "However, the Moon (Jae-in) government opposed the Four Major Rivers Project simply because it was promoted by the Lee Myung-bak government, and after coming to power, branded it as a deep-rooted evil and even forcibly dismantled the weirs. Maintenance of tributaries and streams was also halted," he criticized.

The scale of flood damage is rapidly increasing like a snowball due to heavy rain continuing in the metropolitan area and central regions. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party immediately refuted the United Future Party's claims as untrue. Seol Hoon, a Supreme Council member, pointed out at the party meeting on the 10th, "The opposition is praising the Four Major Rivers Project and even using the flood damage as a political attack, but that is not true." He added, "The project, which was carried out with a massive budget of 22 trillion won, was concluded in the 2013 Board of Audit and Inspection report to be 'not a flood prevention project but a project aimed at reviving the Korean Peninsula Grand Canal project'."

President Moon Jae-in also said it is an opportunity to empirically analyze how much the Four Major Rivers weirs contribute to flood control.

At a senior secretaries and aides meeting on the 10th, President Moon stated, "To identify the causes and responsibilities for the damage caused by the heavy rain, I ask for a thorough investigation and evaluation with experts regarding dam management and the impact of the Four Major Rivers weirs."

Meanwhile, as political disputes over whether the Four Major Rivers Project helped prevent floods intensify, there has been significant controversy about the project's flood prevention effectiveness even before it began.

During the Park Geun-hye administration, the Prime Minister's Office formed the 'Four Major Rivers Project Investigation and Evaluation Committee,' which found some achievements in flood prevention, securing water resources, and improving water environment. However, the 2018 Board of Audit and Inspection report titled 'Inspection and Performance Analysis of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project' stated that no significant results were found indicating that the project reduced flood damage in heavy rain areas.

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