Halt the four major rivers project in South Korea

Call on the South Korean government to stop the disastrous four major rivers project that is damaging delicate ecosystems and destroying the livelihoods of communities who depend on the rivers.

On August 31 the three remaining activists who had been occupying the Ipo Dam for the last 41 days decided to end their sit-in and come down from the dam. They have now been released from police custody and are waiting to be tried for trespassing. 

 

The activists were protesting about the four rivers project, a project that involves building more than 20 new dams on the four largest rivers in South Korea. In addition canals will be constructed to connect the two largest rivers across the mountains in the middle of the country.

 

In the process of carrying out this work Friends of the Earth South Korea (KFEM) claim that the project will destroy the habitat of endangered species, demolish wetlands important for migratory birds and contaminate drinking water for the majority of the Korean people.

 

Speaking on the project one of the activists said:

 

"As environmentalists we cannot understand the irrational and ecologically destructive four major rivers project. Protesting is the only thing we can do because the government ignores and rejects all the suggestions from the people on the ground."   

 

call for the project to be abandoned

The Korean government is facing strong opposition from various sectors of society. In May a Buddhist monk burned himself to death in a protest against the project and many religious leaders and civil society groups are calling for the project to be suspended.

 

Please join KFEM by sending the letter below calling on President Lee Myung-bak and government ministers to recognise the public's concerns and stop construction immediately.