Yanggu County in Gangwon Province has reported that cumulative damage from the Hwacheon and Soyanggang dams could reach up to 3.9233 trillion won. The county plans to shift from a compensation-based support system to a 'benefit-sharing approach' that returns the profits and resources from the dams to the residents.
On September 8, Yanggu County held a meeting at the county hall to discuss the results of a study on the impact of the dams and potential policy measures to expand government support.
According to the county, the study aimed to objectively assess the socio-economic damages caused by regulations, development restrictions, and transportation disruptions that have persisted for over 50 years since the dams were built.
The Gangwon Research Institute estimated that the cumulative damage to Yanggu County from the Hwacheon Dam amounts to 972 billion won over 81 years. The damage from the Soyanggang Dam was analyzed to be between 2.7485 trillion and 2.9513 trillion won over 52 years. It is currently estimated that annual damages range from 8 billion to 14.7 billion won.
Notably, the construction of the Soyanggang Dam submerged part of National Route 46, increasing travel time between Yanggu and Chuncheon from 40 minutes to 2.5 hours. The prolonged transportation disruptions and decreased accessibility have negatively impacted the population and local economy.
In comparison to the scale of the damage, the support provided has been minimal. The annual budget allocated for support projects in the dam vicinity is approximately 2.28 billion won, with only 1.09 billion won, or 48%, designated for local support projects.
A significant portion of the project funds has been spent on one-time and consumable projects, limiting their effectiveness in creating sustainable income and self-reliance for residents.
The issue of dam-related damage extends beyond Yanggu County. During the construction of the Soyanggang Dam, 50.21 square kilometers of land in the Chuncheon, Inje, and Yanggu areas were submerged, displacing 3,153 households and 18,546 individuals. Chuncheon has faced long-term regulations and development restrictions related to water sources, while Inje and Yanggu have dealt with transportation disruptions and changes in living conditions due to submerged roads.
Residents of Hwacheon and Yanggu, near the Hwacheon Dam, have raised concerns about the concentration of benefits from the electricity and water produced by the dam in external regions, compounded by issues of submersion and accessibility. As a result, communities in Chuncheon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, and Inje have been jointly advocating for increased support and improved distribution criteria.
The study identified Yanggu County not just as a victim but as a stakeholder entitled to share in the benefits of the dams. It suggested a policy shift from post-damage compensation to ongoing profit distribution.
Specifically, the study proposed expanding the scope of support for surrounding areas and incorporating factors such as submerged land area, regulatory areas, transportation detour costs, and population decline into the criteria for calculating and distributing support funds. It also recommended increasing the local contribution ratio from electricity and water sales and transforming one-time support projects into long-term initiatives focused on resident income and job creation.
Revisions to the Dam Construction and Management Act and improvements to unreasonable regulations in the natural environment conservation areas around the Soyanggang Dam were also highlighted as necessary tasks. The analysis indicated that regulatory easing should selectively adjust overly restrictive measures on residents' lives and regional development while maintaining water quality and ecological preservation standards.
As a means of revitalizing the region, the enhancement of a waterfront tourism belt connecting the Paroho, Soyangho, and Peace Dam was proposed. Other suggestions included community-funded solar power projects and pumped storage using Paroho as a lower dam, as well as the establishment of a 'National Land Central Community Center' for users of National Route 46.
Community-funded solar power has been successfully implemented in other regions as a profit-sharing model. At the Hapcheon Dam, over 1,400 residents from around 20 villages invested in a community project and received a share of the generated profits.
However, the feasibility of solar power and pumped storage projects must first be verified regarding their business viability, impact on the power grid, water quality, ecological effects, and potential visual disruption. It is essential to disclose investment risks and expected returns to residents from the outset and to institutionalize profit-sharing criteria to prevent further conflicts.
To effectively alleviate damages, it is necessary to establish a joint consultative body involving the government, Gangwon Province, and adjacent cities and counties, going beyond the demands of individual local governments. By bundling requests for increased funding, legal reforms, improvements to disrupted roads, and income-generating projects into a single long-term plan, the likelihood of policy implementation can be enhanced.
Participants at the meeting discussed utilizing the study's findings for government policy and institutional improvements, as well as connecting proposed projects to resident income and job creation.
Kim Wang-kyu, the mayor of Yanggu County, stated, “Yanggu has endured various regulations and development restrictions for over half a century since the construction of the Soyanggang Dam, contributing to national development and stable water supply for the metropolitan area. We will establish a system that ensures that sacrifices and contributions lead to appropriate compensation and that the benefits of the dam are effectively returned to the residents.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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