Cheongyang Jicheon Dam Ministry of Environment Briefing Canceled... Residents' Committee Says "We Won't Give Up Until the End"

Ministry of Environment: "Procedures Will Proceed After Building Resident Consensus"

Park Jaehyun, Director of Water Management Policy at the Ministry of Environment, is explaining the reason for the cancellation of the resident briefing session on the Cheongyang Jicheon Climate Response Dam on the 27th. / Cheongyang - Photo by Kim Ayoung

The Ministry of Environment's briefing session for local residents regarding the construction of the Jicheon Climate Response Dam in Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, was canceled due to opposition from residents.

The Ministry of Environment held the session at the Cheongyang Culture and Arts Center at 10 a.m. on the 27th to explain the necessity of building the Jicheon Dam, which was selected as a candidate site for the climate response dam, and to hear residents' opinions.

However, the session was ultimately canceled after the opposition committee occupied the stage and blocked the Ministry of Environment officials, demanding the cancellation of the construction plan.

The committee stated, "We have continuously opposed the project and requested a postponement of the session, but the Ministry of Environment insisted on proceeding, so we had no choice but to block it," adding, "Many residents cannot attend due to the Gugija Festival and other reasons, so forcing this session is unacceptable."

They further emphasized, "Why should Cheongyang be sacrificed to save other regions? The committee has blocked the construction of the Jicheon Dam for 30 years, and no matter how much compensation is offered, we will never give up."

Park Jaehyun, Director of Water Management Policy at the Ministry of Environment, said, "I am sorry that we could not proceed with the session today due to the large number of opposing residents," adding, "The Ministry of Environment will not unilaterally build the dam. We will reschedule the session and make a decision after sufficient communication with residents."

When asked about future plans by reporters, Director Park explained, "The Jicheon Dam is only a candidate site and has not been finalized. We will proceed with the relevant procedures only after forming a sufficient consensus with residents."

He added, "In the past, the Ministry of Environment made decisions after internal review without official procedures, but this time, we are disclosing the candidate sites from the review stage and will make the final decision after collecting residents' opinions. We have not even explained what kind of dam Jicheon Dam is to the residents, nor have we properly listened to their opposition, so we hope there will be enough time for dialogue."

Director Park also stated, "If no water intake facilities are installed in the dam, there will be no regulations, and while reviewing the 14 candidate sites for this dam, ensuring no regulations was the top priority. If the Jicheon Dam is built, we will not install water intake facilities and will also prepare water quality measures for upstream areas."

He continued, "Chungnam and several other regions have suffered severe droughts many times. Although dam construction may not be a perfect solution, it can help supply more necessary water and reduce flood risks. We are not trying to build a dam unconditionally; we have reviewed various alternatives such as groundwater and retention dams, and are considering dam construction only to supplement what cannot be addressed by other means."

The Cheongyangjicheon Dam Opposition Committee opposed the Ministry of Environment's resident briefing session on the 27th. / Cheongyang = Photo by Kim Ayoung

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