There has been growing concern regarding the safety of weirs that are to be constructed as a part of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project because the Lee Myung-bak administration plans to commence construction prior to reviewing results of a model research experiment using a model of the weirs.

Kim Jin-ae, lawmaker of the opposition Democratic Party (DP), held a press conference at the party’s headquarters located in Seoul’s Yeouido on Feb. 7 and said, “Fourteen out of the fifteen weirs which will be constructed for the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project will be built prior to the final results of a model research experiment using a model of the weirs.”

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) announced on Sept. 30 of 2009 that it would conduct an experiment using a model of the weirs to test the weirs’ safety. During the research experiment, government researchers construct a model of the weirs and run water through the model in order to examine the safety of the project and possibility of flooding and water contamination. Commencement of construction of the weirs comes last in a series of steps for the project’s step-by-step process that includes selection of the contracted construction company, conducting an experiment using a model of the weirs, analyzing the results of the model experiment, confirming the design plan for the weirs and commencing construction.

According to the research released by Lawmaker Kim, the deadline for submitting the design blueprint of the Hapcheon Weir is Feb. 28, while the results of the model experiment will be released in May. Moreover, the government has already completed a design plan for the Epo and Yeoju Weirs while the results of the model experiments will also be released in May.

Kim also said, “This shows that the Lee administration is ignoring safety issues for the weirs by finalizing design plans before analyzing test results of the model experiments.” Kim demanded that the Lee administration suspend construction until reviewing the results of the model experiments. She also recalled the fact that the Yeoncheon Dam, which was constructed by Hyundai Construction Co. and led by then-CEO Lee Myung-bak, collapsed because the company changed the design plan without the examining safety issues.

In response, a government official said, “There will be no problem if we reflect the results of the model experiment either while making a design plan or while construction is underway.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]