Myung Pil Shim, Minister of the Office of National River Restoration
The opening ceremonies for weirs ended with a flourish. It must have relieved you. How do you feel now?
The project is not yet completed. However, what is rewarding for us is that the people who visit the site look more than impressed enjoying the changes that were made to the river. Especially the bike paths seem to provide the most welcoming ground to the people in terms of utilizing riverside areas. Since I became responsible of this vast project I have visited the site many times.
Drawing a rough shape of the finished project next year, my heart flutters that I cannot wait.
How would you put in words the significance of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project and its anticipated effects?
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is not a simple civil engineering project, but a page in the history that gives the new breathes to rivers of Korea. It is the multi-purpose project with combined aspects of civil engineering, environment, culture, and tourism. It is expected that completion of the project will effectively protect the people’s lives and property from droughts and floods. The annual flood damage in average reaches KRW 2.7 trillion and restoration expenditure KRW 4.2 trillion and this project is expected to significantly alleviate the burden of those costs. Also the water quality is forecasted to improve due to water procurement and contaminant management of the project, which will restore the ecosystem. According to the analysis from the National Institute of Environmental Research, ratio of the qualified water in Grade II will raise from 76% to 86%. It will also contribute to improving the quality of people’s lives by creating space with appropriate environment for all culture, tourism, and leisure. Yet there are still works left to be supplemented, but most of the people who visited the four rivers after the opening made an assessment that they are satisfied with changes from the project. We will do our best to successfully finish the project complementing lacking areas by listening to the opinions of the residents.
What were the claims from the people against the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project and how did you cope with it?
Despite the record-breaking rainfalls, the effective results from the project were visualized with minimized damage from floods near the project sites. The positive evaluation about the project is being spread from the people who have visited the site since the opening ceremony. On the other side, there were some environmental groups continued to oppose the project from the beginning.
Interview Hyun Sup Song, Photography Ho Sang Yang, New Daily Press
Efforts to help them understand of the project more accurately were made but it was a difficult task to change their perspectives when they were biased from the start. It was a tough road for they did not even admit the misconception.
Typically, there were claims to call the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project the canal project or to insist that it had caused the destruction of the wetlands and re-accumulation of sediments based on erroneous data. But it had been two years already and until now no one has brought out the issue of how it could lead to the canal project. The dissenters are divided into two group; one is not fully aware of the contents and the other is in the act of objection unconditionally. Various efforts were devoted by presenting accurate information and providing clarifying explanation. Field trips and Waterfront Festivals of the Four Rivers were especially a great help giving them to see the project with their own eyes and resolving misunderstandings.
Total of 16 ‘multi-purpose weirs’ were installed. What would be necessary to efficiently manage and maintain the structures?
Maintenance and management after the completion are important in all SOC (Social Overhead Capital) projects. In case of roads, bridges, and railway constructions, it is also essential to maintain and manage after it had been completed. So is the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project.
The waterfront conditions have been greatly improved through the Project but in order to maintain this performance is the need for maintenance. The central government manages the infrastructures such as dykes and reservoirs, K-water is responsible for the management of multi-purpose weirs, flood control areas, the cultural centers, and the local governments manage national streams besides the four major rivers as well as the facilities for residents. From now on, the central government, K-water, and the local governments will systematically manage the weirs and the waterfront areas followed by the characteristics of the functional role.
It is also important for the residents who use the four rivers to have the mind to converse the river.
There is significantly higher interest from the overseas. Where does this project stand in the world stage?
Contacts are made mostly through the foreign embassies in Korea.
As it had been completed at the end of this year, many foreigners are visiting the project sites.
Southeast Asia countries such as Vietnam, China, Malaysia, and Mongolia, African countries such as Morocco and Uganda, Paraguay of South America, and the countries around the Danube river starting from Rumania paid great attention so far.
Senior officials from around the world, policy makers, and water professionals came to visit the site and the office of national river restoration and delivered their will to adapt the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project into the water management of their countries. It is necessary to build the national basis for the Korean companies to take the advantages in overseas water-related businesses. By the end of this year or next year, it is expected to establish the practical cooperation with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, South America, Africa, and Eastern European countries by continent.
Are there preferential principles in the decision-making process of the project?
The principles stand where they have to make it become “the business that had to be done” even in 10 or 20 years later not just the business to satisfy the current needs. Above all, it has been prepared for climate change and its performance is fully expected against floods at intervals of 2-3 years or horrendous droughts at intervals of 10-20 years. By this project, the reality of Korea that lacks the space for leisure activities is also amended to get a step closer to ideal with many people that come and stay in the waterfront areas.
If you are to advise the people who would participate in the future national projects?
As much as there are many difficulties in large-scale national projects, it gives you realization that you are serving the country and contributing to the national development. It is important more than anything to have an active stance with pride. Large-scale national projects such as Incheon International Airport Project, Kyeongbu highway, Kyeongbu speed rail, and the construction of the Cheonseong tunnel always had much difficulty in promotion and progress with lots of opposed parties. However, most people now admit that those projects were absolutely necessary. Attitude to constantly move forward is needed because the fair assessment will be made over time if the work is done with authenticity and sincerity.
Many national projects will be promoted in the future. With the pride in projects that they will contribute to the national economic development recognize them as a way of serving the country and you will be able to make it through.
Stay convicted, move forward, and eventually the fair historical assessment will be waiting at your door.
To me, the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is
Is the nature and the civilization. Rivers as natural heritage must not only be maintained undamaged its original functions but also be kept in a good shape. It is the target that we humans make a good use out of not a mere exhibition. The four rivers are the nature that must be kept safe and the civilization for the future as the ancient four rivers were.
