Gyeonggi-do Forms TF for Joint Use of Inter-Korean Water Resources

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is forming a task force (TF) to establish a plan for the joint use of water resources between the South and North, including the Imjin River.

This follows Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung's visit on the 31st of last month to areas affected by heavy rain around the Imjin River, including the Gunnam Flood Control Reservoir, where he proposed promoting water resource exchange as a future South-North joint cooperation project.

At that time, Governor Lee said, "If the Imjin River is jointly managed by the South and North, it will be greatly beneficial to us and to North Korea," adding, "I hope to actively promote this as a South-North joint cooperation project with the cooperation of the Korea Water Resources Corporation."

To this end, on the 8th, the province held a 'Meeting of Related Agencies for the Joint Use of Water Resources including the Imjin River' at the northern government office building of Gyeonggi Province.

The province plans to hold a second meeting with related agencies to comprehensively gather opinions on the specific roles and scope of each institution and the promotion plan for joint use of water resources between the South and North, and based on this, to organize the TF within this month.

The task force will work closely with related agencies such as the Korea Water Resources Corporation and city and county governments to derive feasible plans for joint use of water resources between the South and North, and will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating negotiations with the North based on these plans.

The province expects that opening the way for joint utilization of water resources such as the Imjin River through South-North exchange and cooperation projects will not only prevent flood damage caused by discharges from the Hwanggang Dam but also greatly contribute to resolving North Korea's power shortages and drought relief in rural areas of both South and North Korea.

Lee Jae-gang, Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "It will not be easy to come up with immediate solutions, but through cooperation among relevant departments and related agencies, we will discover good joint water resource use plans that allow the South and North to coexist," adding, "With a sense of mission to open a new path for South-North economic exchange and cooperation, we will actively collect and review various proposals."

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