Chungnam Province Responds "No Problem" to Credibility Concerns Over Jicheondam Resident Survey

Kim Youngmyung, Director of the Environmental and Forestry Bureau:
"Results Derived After Securing Valid Interviews Evenly Across Villages"

Youngmyung Kim, Director of the Environmental and Forestry Bureau of Chungnam Province, held a press conference at the provincial government press center on the afternoon of the 23rd and refuted concerns about the reliability of the resident opinion survey regarding Jicheondam, stating that there is "no problem." Photo by Yoonji Pyo

Chungnam Province has stated that there is "no problem" with the reliability of the resident opinion survey on Jicheondam, following calls for the need to verify its credibility.

At a press conference held at the provincial government press center on the 23rd, Youngmyung Kim, Director of the Environmental and Forestry Bureau, said, "Not only did we secure a sufficient number of responses, but we also ensured that valid interview results were evenly collected from each village based on accurate addresses within the administrative district. The results were then derived from this data, which means the survey has a high level of reliability."

The opinion survey, commissioned by the province to Realmeter, was conducted from May 30 to June 5. It targeted 4,506 households living within a 5-kilometer radius of the proposed Jicheondam site and its neighboring areas.

As a result, 1,524 households responded, and among them, 1,167 households, or 76.6%, expressed their support for the project.

Director Kim explained, "Some groups opposing the dam have continuously claimed that a majority of residents in the submerged and adjacent areas are against the dam, which has caused anxiety among residents directly affected by the project. In response, the Jicheondam Regional Council suggested the need for objective verification, which led to the implementation of the opinion survey."

He added, "According to the Ministry of Environment, under the Dam Construction Act, the opinions of residents living within a 5-kilometer radius of the dam, who are directly or indirectly affected by the submergence and dam construction, are considered the most important. The fact that a majority of local residents, who will be most affected by the dam, support its construction serves as an important reference for policy decisions."

Director Kim also stated, "The cost of the survey commissioned to Realmeter was 10 million won, and the labor cost for survey staff was 7 million won for two days. If a second survey is needed, we are considering methods such as telephone surveys, and if a complete enumeration survey is required, we plan to conduct that as well."

Previously, the Jicheondam Construction Opposition Countermeasure Committee raised concerns about the reliability of the opinion poll commissioned by the province to Realmeter, claiming that the response rate was low and that surveys were not conducted in villages opposed to the project. The opposition committee has announced a press conference scheduled for the morning of the 24th.

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