Simmin, Imsil County Governor, Strongly Protests Failure to Control Seomjingang Dam Discharge

Joint Petition Announcement by 6 Cities and Counties in the Lower Region

Photo by Imsil-gun Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Nosik] Sim Min, the mayor of Imsil County, visited the Ministry of Environment and the headquarters of Korea Water Resources Corporation to strongly protest the failure to control dam discharge during record-breaking heavy rains, which caused significant damage to the residents.

On the 13th, Mayor Sim visited the Ministry of Environment and Korea Water Resources Corporation regarding the severe damage to the downstream area of the Seomjin River Dam caused by the recent heavy rains, and asserted, “All damaged areas downstream of Seomjin River Dam should be designated as special disaster zones, and for systematic watershed management, control should be returned to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.”

That morning, Mayor Sim, together with six cities and counties downstream of Seomjin River Dam?including Namwon City, Sunchang County, Gokseong County, Gurye County, and Gwangyang City?announced the “Joint Petition of Cities and Counties Downstream of Seomjin River Dam” at the Ministry of Environment, actively expressing the same position.

In the afternoon, he visited Korea Water Resources Corporation to point out errors in water management of Seomjin River Dam and strongly protested the incident.

Mayor Sim stated, “The downstream area of Seomjin River Dam experienced the worst flood disaster in history, resulting in numerous displaced persons, and the property damage is currently too difficult to even tally,” adding, “Local residents naturally accept that the failure to control water levels was due to the dam management agencies such as Korea Water Resources Corporation,” before announcing a joint petition containing five clauses including the return of control to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

According to the joint petition, the demands include ▲designating all six cities and counties downstream of Seomjin River Dam as special disaster areas and providing damage compensation ▲establishing a Seomjin River basin management office or returning control to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for systematic watershed management ▲recalculating and expanding discharge volumes to prevent dry riverbeds downstream during drought and normal periods and to resolve agricultural water shortages.

Furthermore, they strongly requested ▲strengthening flood control functions by automatically linking dam discharge volumes during the monsoon and typhoon seasons with upstream inflow and weather forecasts ▲and establishing a system for prior consultation and participation of local governments in water resource management such as dam discharge.

Due to this heavy rain, residents downstream of Seomjin River Dam have suffered the worst damage in history and are expressing their frustration over the failure to control dam water levels.

Photo by Imsil-gun

On this day, the six cities and counties pointed out, “Despite the heavy rains being forecast in advance, the focus was on water storage rather than proactive discharge, and only on the morning of the 8th, when the water level of the Seomjin River reached its highest, did the dam urgently discharge a record-breaking 1,870 tons per second, the maximum capacity of the dam.”

They appealed, “The stance of dam management agencies such as Korea Water Resources Corporation, which blame the damage solely on the heavy rain, is causing great pain to the residents downstream.”

Since the completion of Seomjin River Dam in 1965, the downstream area has dried up into a dry riverbed that can be crossed wearing boots during droughts, destroying the river ecosystem.

Mayor Sim said, “Imsil County is the closest area to Seomjin River Dam, and residents here suffered isolation again due to this heavy rain,” adding, “For 55 years, during the summer when heavy rains concentrate, residents have had to live in anxiety, closely monitoring dam discharge volumes.”

Due to this heavy rain, two villages and 48 households in Imsil County were flooded, 98 people were displaced, and 161 hectares of farmland were damaged. While property damage is still being tallied, the damage amount is expected to be considerable.

Mayor Sim said, “Seomjin River Dam, built in 1965, is another name for the sorrows and pains of the people of Imsil County,” and added, “This incident must serve as an opportunity to establish a comprehensive diagnosis of dam management and a systematic operation plan.”

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