Minister Kim Sunghwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment inspected flood-season operations at Seomjingang Dam ahead of the start of the flood season. Seomjingang Dam plans to secure about 300 million tons of flood control capacity in advance to minimize flood damage downstream.
The ministry said Minister Kim will sequentially visit the entire Seomjin River section, starting on the 17th at Seomjingang Dam in Imsil, North Jeolla; then Seomjingang Flood Control Field Office (Namwon); Chimsil Wetland (Gokseong); the confluence of the Seomjin and Boseong rivers; Otter Ecological Park (Gurye); Hadong Songnim Park; and finally Bealdu Waterfront Park in Gwangyang, South Jeolla.
Seomjingang Dam, built in 1965, is Korea's first multipurpose dam. At the site, Minister Kim received briefings on the status of water supply and water quality management, flood-season (June 21–Sept. 20) operations, and responses to algal blooms. Minister Kim asked related agencies, including the Yeongsangang Flood Control Office, Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), and Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC), to establish a swift response system linking dams, agricultural reservoirs, and rivers.
At the Namwon Seomjingang Flood Control Field Office, to prevent a recurrence of flooding in the Seomjin River basin—where torrential rains in Aug. 2020 caused 400.8 billion won in damage and eight deaths—he called for airtight countermeasures and encouraged on-site staff.
Minister Kim said, "Among the five major rivers, the Seomjin River has the healthiest aquatic ecosystem," and added, "To create a sustainable Seomjin River where nature and people coexist, we will strengthen integrated watershed management."