Jicheon, Amicheon, Byeongyeongcheon, Hoeyagang and Gohyeoncheon dams to proceed; alternatives sought for Gamcheon and Galyecheon

Minister of Climate, Environment and Energy Kim Sung-hwan announces the results of an additional review of seven proposed dam sites at Government Complex Seoul on Thursday. [Yonhap]
Minister of Climate, Environment and Energy Kim Sung-hwan announces the results of an additional review of seven proposed dam sites at Government Complex Seoul on Thursday. [Yonhap]

The government said Thursday it will proceed with building five of the seven dam sites it had been reviewing as candidates for new construction, while pursuing alternative water management measures at the remaining two.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy announced the results of an additional review of the seven sites whose development plans had not been finalized following a detailed reassessment published in September last year.

Based on the findings of a public deliberation committee and alternative studies, the ministry decided to move forward with construction of five dams — the Jicheon Dam (Cheongyang and Buyeo), Amicheon Dam (Yeoncheon), Byeongyeongcheon Dam (Gangjin), Hoeyagang Dam (Ulsan) and Gohyeoncheon Dam (Geoje) — while pursuing alternatives for the Gamcheon Dam (Gimcheon) and Galyecheon Dam (Uiryeong).

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration had announced plans in July 2024 to build 14 new dams as part of its response to the climate crisis. The announcement was followed by sustained controversy over the dams' effectiveness in preventing floods and droughts, as well as conflicts among local residents.

The Lee Jae Myung administration subsequently launched a detailed reassessment of all 14 sites and decided in September last year to halt construction at seven of them, citing low necessity and strong opposition from local communities.

The remaining seven sites — where local opinion was divided or further review was needed — underwent additional examination through expert-led public deliberation and preliminary design studies.

Under the plan announced Thursday, the Jicheon Dam was initially assessed primarily for flood control in light of damage caused by heavy rainfall in 2023 to areas downstream of the Jicheon River. The government decided to build a multipurpose dam after new water demand emerged from major development projects in the Chungcheong region.

The Amicheon Dam, whose flood-control necessity was recognized during the review, will be built as a multipurpose dam to protect the city of Yeoncheon from flooding while also meeting water demand in the Imjin River basin — including Yeoncheon and Paju — which has no independent water source.

The Byeongyeongcheon Dam and Hoeyagang Dam, both local drinking water dams, will have flood-control functions added. The Gohyeoncheon Dam in Geoje, which suffered severe flooding from extreme rainfall in recent years, will be raised in height and fitted with floodgates to secure a maximum flood-control capacity of 620,000 tons.

For the Gamcheon Dam, the public deliberation committee recommended that making full use of the nearby multipurpose Gimcheon Buhang Dam alongside river improvement works would be more effective than building a new dam. The government will proceed accordingly.

The Galyecheon Dam, originally planned as a raised agricultural reservoir, will instead be operated in conjunction with the nearby Gami Reservoir to secure flood-control capacity sufficient to handle a once-in-100-years flood in the downstream urban area.

The ministry said the total project cost is expected to fall sharply — from an estimated 4.75 trillion won ($3.43 billion) for the original 14-dam plan to around 1.67 trillion won.

The dams approved for construction will go through legally required processes — including preliminary feasibility studies, full feasibility studies and strategic environmental impact assessments — before a basic dam construction plan is drawn up and officially announced, at which point the projects will be formally confirmed.

"We plan to share the review results and future plans for the seven dam sites with local communities and provide residents with thorough explanations," Climate, Environment and Energy Minister Kim Sung-hwan said. "We will do everything in our power to develop the best approach to water resource utilization — including new dam construction — to reduce flood and drought damage and ensure timely water supply to national advanced industrial complexes and other facilities."

Review results for seven dam sites: five to proceed with construction, two to pursue alternatives. [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]
Review results for seven dam sites: five to proceed with construction, two to pursue alternatives. [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]

thlee@heraldcorp.com