Hapcheon County Council Member Kwon Young-sik Receives Local Legislative Service Award

Recognition for Contributions to Compensation for Hapcheon Dam Flood Discharge Damage and Opposition to Hwanggang Intake Facility Activities

Councilor Kwon Young-sik of Hapcheon County Council received the Local Legislative Service Award. [Hapcheon County Council]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Kwon Young-sik, a member of the Hapcheon County Council in Gyeongnam (Hapcheon Ga electoral district, Hapcheon-eup, Yongju-myeon, Daebyeong-myeon), received the Local Legislative Service Award on the 9th, presented by the National Association of Chairpersons of City, County, and District Councils.

As a first-term member of the 8th Hapcheon County Council, Councilor Kwon has actively engaged in legislative activities, striving not only for regional development and resident service but also for balanced development among regions.

During the Hapcheon Dam floodgate discharge incident in August last year, he served as co-chairman of the Residents' Countermeasures Committee, which was voluntarily formed by the residents, and chaired the Special Committee against Flood Damage Compensation and the Hwanggang Water Intake Plant, formed by the county council, simultaneously leading various struggles and activities. Councilor Kwon has taken the lead in preparing compensation measures and opposing the installation of the Hwanggang Water Intake Plant.

In this process, Councilor Kwon participated in protest visits to the Ministry of Environment and Korea Water Resources Corporation and joined a head-shaving protest. He also urged the government through a resolution passed unanimously by all county council members, demanding an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding flood damage caused by dam discharge, thereby drawing government-level attention. Additionally, he attended a water forum hosted by Gyeonggi Province, helping to raise the issue nationwide.

He devoted efforts to actively solving the problem by holding multiple meetings with affected residents, visiting similar dam-adjacent areas (Hadong, Gurye, Okcheon County) to collect related data and information, and seeking solidarity with environmental organizations and the National Dam Damage Overcoming Council.

Thanks to Councilor Kwon’s efforts, the “Hapcheon-Namgang Dam Downstream Flood Damage Cause Investigation Council,” which includes resident representatives, government officials, local governments, and external experts, has been formed and is accelerating its investigation.

Furthermore, upon stepping into the county council, Councilor Kwon represented residents’ difficulties through county administration questions related to “private contracts” and enacted the “Hapcheon County School Uniform Support Ordinance” to promote universal welfare for residents. He has also worked to enhance residents’ welfare by proposing measures to expand the use of local gift certificates and revitalize traditional markets to boost the local economy.

Regarding the award, Councilor Kwon said, “I feel embarrassed to receive an award for simply doing what was expected of me as a county council member during these difficult times due to COVID-19,” adding, “I will continue to work tirelessly for the development of the local community and the happiness of residents, regardless of time and place.”

The Local Legislative Service Award is given annually to council members who have made significant contributions to the development of local legislation. Due to COVID-19, the award was presented by Chairperson Bae Mong-hee in the Hapcheon County Council chairman’s office on behalf of the chairpersons of the National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairpersons.

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