Mayor Yoo Jeongbok of Incheon: "An Independent Law Is Needed to Preserve the Han River Estuary"

Forum on the "Han River Estuary Management Act" Held at the National Assembly on December 2

Incheon Metropolitan City has called for the enactment of legislation to preserve and systematically manage the ecological environment of the Han River Estuary.

On December 2, Yoo Jeongbok, Mayor of Incheon, attended the "National Assembly Forum on Enacting the Han River Estuary Management Act" held at the National Assembly and emphasized, "Given the ecological, environmental, economic, and security significance of the Han River Estuary, its preservation is an urgent task that can no longer be delayed, and an independent law is necessary."

The forum was co-hosted by National Assembly members from Incheon, Gimpo, and Paju in Gyeonggi Province, along with the Han River Estuary Ecological Environment Integrated Management Council.

During the expert presentations, Choi Hyeja, Secretary General of the Incheon River Restoration Promotion Group; Kim Chungki, Head of the Estuary and Marine Research Division at the Korea Environment Institute; and Lee Changhee, Professor at the Department of Smart Infrastructure Engineering at Myongji University, served as speakers.

They pointed out that the "Special Act on Estuary Restoration," currently under discussion in the National Assembly, mainly focuses on restoring estuary barrages and does not sufficiently reflect the unique characteristics of the Han River Estuary. They stressed the need for an independent management law that addresses the estuary's distinctive features.

Scenic view of Janghang Wetland in the Han River estuary. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Located in the Han River Estuary, Incheon is directly affected by microplastics, pollutants, and floating debris flowing in from upstream. To address these issues, Incheon established the "Han River Estuary Ecological Environment Integrated Management Council" in 2020, based on collaboration among the public sector, private sector, and academia, and has since focused on conservation projects.

The Han River Estuary, where the Han River meets the West Sea, lacks legal grounds for management that reflect its regional characteristics. As a result, there are ongoing concerns that the efforts of individual local governments alone are insufficient to prevent water pollution or preserve the ecosystem.

Incheon plans to strengthen cooperation with the National Assembly, government, experts, and the local community, and will continue joint research and discussions with the National Assembly to actively support the enactment of an independent "Han River Estuary Management Act."

At the forum, Son Yeosoon, Director of the Water Quality and Rivers Division of Incheon, stated, "The Han River Estuary, where ecosystem destruction and the inflow of waste are accumulating, is a space crucial not only to Incheon but also to the future of Korea. We will focus our administrative capabilities on enacting the necessary legislation."

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