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Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do Join Forces to Address Water Issues: Interagency Meeting on the Water Intake Source Diversification Project

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□ The Water Intake Source Diversification Project for the Nakdong River water system—an aspiration of Busan citizens for the past 30 years—will reach a turning point through a new forum for communication as Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do come together.

□ Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “Interagency Meeting on the Water Intake Source Diversification Project” at 16:00 today (the 20th) in the Provincial Administration Conference Room at the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Government Office, at the suggestion of Rep. Park Sang-ung (Miryang, Uiryeong, Haman, Changnyeong).

○ Led by Rep. Park Sang-ung, the meeting will bring together a total of seven participants, including the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, the Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, the Mayor of Uiryeong County, the Mayor of Changnyeong County, the Director General for Water Use Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Chair of the Changnyeong County Countermeasures Committee, to hold in-depth discussions on the overall project and local residents’ concerns.

□ The meeting was arranged so that relevant agencies and residents in the water-intake area can jointly seek practical solutions for the Nakdong River Water Intake Source Diversification Project, which has seen no progress for five years since the 2021 Nakdong River Integrated Water Management Plan was prepared.

○ Discussions will focus not only on the implementation plan for the Water Intake Source Diversification Project but also on exchanging views on measures to prevent anticipated damage and on support measures for mutual growth and shared prosperity for the region—issues that residents in the water-intake area are concerned about.

○ Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do, together with the central government, will reaffirm their commitment to actively reflect residents’ opinions in the project plan. Residents, for their part, will be able to candidly convey on-the-ground concerns and call for practical alternatives, making the meeting a meaningful forum for communication.

□ Emphasizing the public value of ensuring a stable water supply as well as progress on the project, Governor Park Wan-su said, “Securing residents’ acceptance, which is a precondition for moving forward, is more important than anything else. In particular, concrete measures must be put in place to address actual agricultural damage suffered by residents, and appropriate compensation measures must be prepared in the event of damage. Our province will listen closely to residents’ voices and will fulfill its role as a responsible coordinator so that reasonable communication can take place between the central government and local governments.”

□ Rep. Park Sang-ung stressed, “As the Water Intake Source Diversification Project is a major policy on which residents’ lives and the future depend, relevant institutions—including Busan Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangnam-do, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Uiryeong County, and Changnyeong County—must systematically manage the entire process through a standing consultative body, from verification and supplementation to communication and implementation monitoring. At the National Assembly level as well, I will play a responsible role so that solutions can be found through cooperation, not conflict, under the principles of protecting residents’ rights and pursuing mutually beneficial regional development.”

□ Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “It is deeply meaningful that Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do have prepared a forum for communication that listens to the voices of relevant institutions and residents in the water-intake area for the successful implementation of the Water Intake Source Diversification Project. I hope this meeting will serve as an opportunity to seek practical solutions based on mutual trust.”

□ He added, “The Water Intake Source Diversification Project goes beyond simply sharing water; it is a path toward mutual prosperity, with Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do moving forward together into a future of shared growth. We will fully explain to residents the measures prepared through close collaboration between the central government and local governments, ease concerns, and work with Gyeongsangnam-do, Changnyeong, and Uiryeong to create an exemplary model of cooperation that resolves the Nakdong River water issues that have continued for more than 30 years.”