Suncheon City Council Holds Meeting with Korea Water Resources Corporation on Flood Damage

Representing the Opinions of Affected Residents and Demanding Compensation for Damages

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] The Suncheon City Council (Chairman Heo Yu-in) held a meeting with the Korea Water Resources Corporation on the morning of the 4th regarding the flood damage that occurred last month in Hwangjeon-myeon.

This meeting was held after the Korea Water Resources Corporation stated that they would explain the regulation of dam discharge volumes, which has been pointed out as a cause of the increased damage, at the National Assembly. So Byeong-cheol, the National Assembly member for the relevant district, suggested that the Suncheon City Council, as the representative body of the citizens, should be visited first, saying, "Listening to the opinions of the affected residents should come first."

Attending the meeting were Heo Yu-in, Chairman of the Suncheon City Council; Kim Jeong-hee, Provincial Assembly member representing Hwangjeon-myeon; Yoo Young-gap, Chairman of the Administrative Autonomy Committee; Oh Haeng-suk, Council member; as well as Park Gye-su, Vice Chairman; Lee Young-ran, Chairman of the Council Operations Committee; Nam Jeong-ok, Chairman of the Culture and Economy Committee; Kim Mi-yeon, Chairman of the Urban Construction Committee; Jeong Hong-jun, Council member; and other Suncheon City Council officials, along with representatives from the Korea Water Resources Corporation including Choi Deung-ho, Head of the Yeongsangang and Seomjingang River Basin Headquarters.

After hearing explanations from the Korea Water Resources Corporation regarding the discharge procedures of the Seomjingang Dam and Juam Dam during the recent heavy rains, city and provincial council members pointed out problems in the dam discharge process and conveyed the demands of the residents in the affected areas.

Council members Kim Jeong-hee, Yoo Young-gap, and Oh Haeng-suk stated, "Although this flood damage was caused by poor management of the Seomjingang water system and dam discharge, the Korea Water Resources Corporation continues to make excuses," and emphasized, "A change in attitude from the Korea Water Resources Corporation is necessary."

Other council members also stressed, "The Korea Water Resources Corporation should reflect on its mistakes rather than evade responsibility and prepare measures to ensure that the affected residents receive fair compensation," adding, "To prevent such incidents from recurring, a more accurate and systematic water management system must be established."

Furthermore, they agreed to cooperate with National Assembly member So Byeong-cheol to take all necessary measures, including requesting an audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection and filing claims for damages, until their demands for fair compensation are fulfilled.

In response, the Korea Water Resources Corporation expressed, "We sincerely apologize for not being able to carefully attend to the residents affected in Hwangjeon-myeon," and stated, "We will strive to provide compensation and support on par with other cities and counties."

Summarizing the meeting, Heo Yu-in, Chairman of the Suncheon City Council, conveyed demands to the Korea Water Resources Corporation including providing urgent support such as wallpapering and flooring to households flooded in Hwangjeon-myeon before disaster funds are disbursed; introducing state-of-the-art facilities for dam discharge warning broadcasts; releasing an appropriate amount of river maintenance water in the Seomjingang basin to maintain river functions even during normal times; and establishing flood control measures for the Seomjingang water system equivalent to those for the Han River and Nakdong River.

Meanwhile, National Assembly member So Byeong-cheol, who proposed the meeting, stated, "Since a national audit request has recently been filed by residents affected near the Seomjingang River, we will continuously demand a prompt and thorough audit of the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Water Resources Corporation by the Board of Audit and Inspection to ensure fair compensation is made."

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