We must clean up rivers that have been contaminated by industrialization for decades

Over the past 50 years, Korea has risen from an impoverished nation of just $60 per capita income to an affluent nation of $20,000 per capita income. Unfortunately, the nation’s rivers and water sources have become polluted during this period of fast-paced industrialization and economic growth. The Yeongsan River in the southwest was once home to a number of species of birds and dotted with sailboats. Today, one will find a river overwhelmed with trash and used tires. The water is no longer suitable for agriculture, much less for drinking. We can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the nation’s dying rivers.