Audit reveals biased review in dismantling weirs on rivers under former gov’t

Seungchon Weir on the Yeongsan River [Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) found Thursday that a decision made by the former Moon Jae-in government to dismantle the weirs on two of the country’s four rivers was neither scientific nor transparent.

The weirs were built as part of the so-called four river project launched by former President Lee Myung-bak. Weirs are low barriers designed to regulate and direct water flow.

The findings were part of the BAI report released on Thursday, following more than two years of investigation. The BAI said that the decision was based on “incorrect data on the potential improvements of demolition on the water quality and the ecosystem.”

The report revealed that in February 2019, three months after a committee was launched, it decided to dismantle Gongju Weir on the Geum River and Juksan Weir on the Yeongsan River. It was agreed on keeping Baekje Weir on the Geum River and the Seungchon Weir on the Yeongsan River operational.

In the decision-making, false or incorrect data was used to evaluate the potential environmental benefits of dismantling the weirs, the report said.

The evaluation of the environmental benefits on the quality of the rivers and the ecosystem constituted the most significant factor among the eight components assessed in determining the demolition.

The committee has been judged of offering such biased results to the presidential office as it had been supposed to devise plans to dispose of the weirs as late as February 2019.

The BAI said that a civic group of activists had exercised its influence in establishing the committee, adding that the committee had only the critics of the four river projects.

In response to the report, the Ministry of Environment announced the resumption of the four river project.

“The demolition was a rash and irresponsible decision, and the nationwide 16 weirs on the four rivers will be kept in place,” said Environment Minister Han Wha-jin. “Action plans to build dams and dredge the rivers will be implemented soon.”