“Wangpi-Cheon Designated as Dam Construction Candidate Is a Treasure House of Ecosystem“

The Green Korea raised an issue that the government selected the nation`s best treasure house of ecosystem as a candidate for dam construction. Since the Ministry of Construction and Transportation announced to construct a dam in the district around Wangpi-Cheon, Uljin-Gun, Kyungbuk Province, many adverse opinions have been raised.

The Green Korea released `the report on the ecological environment around Wangpi-Cheon` yesterday, which was conducted in cooperation with Uljin County Office from May last year to November this year.

The Green Korea maintained in this report that the 65 km district around Wangpi-Cheon is a treasure house of ecosystem which has offered a habitat for Crypsinus Hastatus and Yellow Iris designated as `protection plants` by the Ministry of Environment, and goral, flying squirrel, and otter designated as `precious natural products`.

And according to the report, Wangpi-Cheon waters retain 28 kinds of reptiles and amphibians including Onychodactylus fischeri living in clean water, Bufo stejneger, Rana rugosa and Rana temporaria dybowskii, and is abundant with rare fish such as salmon, sweetfish and dace.

Kim Je-Nam, administrative director of Green Korea, said that Wangpi-Cheon is a natural treasury more precious than Dong River in Youngwal, so that the unthinkable development plan must be reconsidered. And the Ministry of Environment should designate this area as protection district as soon as possible.

A company, which has pursued to develop a hot spring around Wangpi-Cheon, filed a suit as it failed to receive permission from the Kyungbuk province last June. And the Ministry of Construction and Transportation designated this area as a candidate for dam construction in June.

Young-A Soh sya@donga.com