Opposition presidential candidates pledge cooperation on restoring four major rivers

Posted on : 2017-04-21 16:02 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
As part of campaign, parties agree to cooperate with environmental groups to move away from nuclear energy
Green water flows through weirs that were opened on the Nakdong River on Apr. 16
Green water flows through weirs that were opened on the Nakdong River on Apr. 16

Presidential candidates from the three main opposition parties - the Minjoo Party, People’s Party, and Justice Party - reached an agreement with environmental groups to develop a road map for natural restoration of the waterways in the Four Major Rivers Project through weir removal and other measures.

The agreement between the three candidates’ election camps and the Korea Environment Conference, an organization made up of 40 major environmental groups including the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and Green Korea United, was made on the morning of Apr. 20 at the National Assembly Members’ Hall. With it, the candidates pledged to sign policy agreements and undertake concrete measures on nine tasks in three environmental areas, including development of a road map for restoring the four rivers to their natural state.

The policy agreements fell into three areas: handling the Four Major Rivers Project, adopting new energy sources, and managing hazardous substances. As steps to achieve a restoration of the four rivers, the candidates agreed to develop a road map that includes opening the waterways’ weirs on a permanent basis to allow water to flow again, conducting close inspections and assessments of the project and holding officials accountable for ecosystem damage, and removing weirs altogether.

People’s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo previously submitted “monitoring, close inspection, and a natural restoration through permanent opening of the Four Major Rivers [weirs]” as a major pledge with the National Election Commission. Justice Party candidate Shim Sang-jung included “enactment of a special law for the natural restoration of the four rivers and full-scale opening and phased removal of their weirs” in her pledges. Minjoo Party candidate Moon Jae-in did not mention handling of the four rivers in his pledges.

The environmental groups and candidates also agreed on a plan for achieving a “country of solar and wind [energy],” which included setting goals and developing measures for the gradual closure of outdated nuclear power plants without extending their lifespans, abandonment of construction plans for all new nuclear power plants - including those already being built - and supporting the development and expansion of renewable energy.

As part of their agreement, the groups and candidates plan to step up oversight and regulations on hazardous chemicals to European Union standards, increase fine dust regulations to World Health Organization recommended standards and develop concrete measures for reductions at the dust’s source, and beef up preventive principles for new risks and punishments for those responsible for accidents involving hazardous materials.

Putting their names to the agreement on the candidates’ behalf at the ceremony on Apr. 20 were lawmaker and Minjoo Party special environment committee head Kang Byung-won, People’s Party secretary-general Kim Sam-hwa, and Justice Party special anti-nuclear and ecology committee head Kim Je-nam. From the Korea Environment Council, Green Korea United co-president Yun Jeong-suk and Citizens’ Movement for Environment Justice co-president Dong Jong-in also signed.

“There have been a lot of concerns from civil society about handling of the Four Major Rivers Project not being included in the policy pledges of the Minjoo Party’s Moon Jae-in, who has been the leading candidate to date,” said Jeong Gyu-seok, head of Green Korea United’s policy team.

“This policy agreement is significant in that all three parties, including Moon’s camp, have nailed down measures toward developing a road map for returning the four rivers to nature and stopping construction of the Shin Kori No. 5 and 6 nuclear power plants.”

By Kim Jeong-su, senior staff writer

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