hankyoreh

which has interrupted the flow of rivers and made the water stagnant and dirty. They are colonies of organisms bound together. (provided by Korean Federation of Environmental Movement)

By Kim Kyung-wook, Kim Jeong-su and Kim Kyu-won, staff reporters

Pervasive algal blooms and invasive bryozoans. Bedrock collapsing from excessive dredging. A mountain of debt for the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water). A host of problems are emerging with the Four Major Rivers Project, the massive effort pushed under the administration of former president Lee Myung-bak (2003-08). But the politicians, officials, and experts who pushed for the project, which started out as an idea for a “Grand Korean Waterway,” are showing no sign of regret or reflection.

Most of the major proponents of the project under the Lee administration were tight-lipped or evasive when the Hankyoreh contacted them on July 8 and 9. Some argued for waiting before coming to a final judgment on the project; others argued for channeling even more money into it.

A member of Lee’s camp said it was “jumping to conclusions” for environmental groups and NGO to demand responsibility for the disaster.

“There’s no strong evidence that the project has destroyed the ecosystem,” he said.

“Any general assessment of the Four Major Rivers Project needs to be made from a long-term perspective,” the official added.

A photo posted by former President Lee Myung-bak on Oct. 2 to his Facebook page

Onetime Blue House Chief of Staff Yu Woo-ik, seen by many as the architect of the “Grand Korean Waterway” plan that would serve as the project’s basis, said he had “nothing to say about it right now.”

“I’m not speaking to the media,” Yu declared.

Yu, then a professor of geography at Seoul National University, drafted the waterway pledge while serving on Lee’s election team, and later backed it in its new form as the Four Major Rivers Project. The theoretical basis for the now-problematic project came mostly from him.

Also keeping quiet was Saenuri Party (NFP) lawmaker Lee Jae-oh, who earned the nickname “Four Rivers evangelist” after making a bicycle tour of the rivers during his stints as Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission chief and Minister of Special Affairs under the Lee Myung-bak administration. Several phone calls made to hear his views on the project went unanswered. A secretary in his office said Lee’s “basic position is that some time is needed before we can judge the project’s success.”

Bahk Jae-wan, former Minister of Strategy and Finance who took charge of the project as Blue House senior secretary for state affairs planning, actually argued for expanding the project. Bahk, who lauded the project as a “Korean New Deal” during his time at the helm, insisted there was “no question” that water stores have increased and water quality has improved as a result of the project.

“The administration ought to be channeling more resources into expanding the project to the tributaries and streams,” he opined.

Bahk also shrugged off worries about the 8 trillion won (US$7.9 billion) in debt facing the K-water after the project.

“That can be solved with the profits from riverside development,” he said.

Meanwhile, some of the key officials who handled the more practical aspects of the project downplayed their own roles in it.

Shim Myung-pil, the former chief of the project’s office in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (the main government agency behind the effort), agreed with others on the need for “more time before we can make a fair assessment.”

But he also declined to say any more “because there could be misunderstandings if I talk about it in detail.”

Saenuri lawmaker Kim Hee-kuk, who served as deputy chief for the project headquarters, said he bore no legal responsibility as a public servant, but added, “It’s unfortunate that there have been problems that are being criticized.”

Two office chiefs, both surnamed Jeong, who supervised administration water resource policy at the time of the project each insisted that they had nothing to do with the project and advised speaking to other officials.

showing him cycling along the North Han River. Lee commented on how refreshing his ride was. The river he’s cycling along was affected by his disastrous Four Major Rivers Project

Former Vice Minister of Environment Lee Man-ui, who in the past said he would “take responsibility if the project turns out be a mistake,” responded that criticisms of the current problems with it were “politically motivated.”

Similar views were voiced by the experts who heartily approved of the project and offered rationales for the administration to go ahead with it.

One of them was Park Seok-soon, an environmental engineering professor at Ewha Womans University who advised Lee on his waterway pledge and headed the National Institute of Environment Research while the project was going on.

“I never did anything that I need to ‘take responsibility’ for, nor was I in a position to take responsibility,” Park said.

Cha Yoon-jung, a forest ecologist who helped promote the project as deputy chief of its environmental headquarters, was also tight-lipped.

“I don’t think now’s the time to be talking about it,” Cha said.

Environmental groups have demanded an exhaustive investigation of possible misdeeds, with punishments for those responsible. Their argument is that a project supported or actively pushed as “restoring the ecosystem and helping economic development” has actually resulted in greater damage to the ecosystem and the possibility of taxpayers facing a bill for billions of dollars.

“We keep seeing one problem after another with the Four Major Rivers Project, but the ones who spearheaded the effort all suddenly have no comment,” said Lee Cheol-jae, policy committee head for the Korean Federation For Environmental Movement. “They’re saying we should ‘wait before reaching any conclusions.’ It’s just irresponsible.”

“If we don’t hold people responsible for this crime against the natural environment, then we can expect to see even more of these ridiculous state projects,” Lee said.

In October 2013, the group MINBYUN-Lawyers of a Democratic Society and the Pan-National Committee for Restoration of the Four Major Rivers filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors on behalf of a list of 39,775 citizen complainants. It accused Lee, along with 57 other ministers and officials connected with the project, of breach of trust and abuse of authority.

Nine months later, the prosecutors have yet to even complete their scheduling for complainant questioning.

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