Seven agencies sign joint agreement to remove small weir on Jeonju Stream

Corporate sponsorship and civil society to drive demolition as model for river restoration nationwide

A view of the Sangjukeum Weir on Jeonju Stream [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]
A view of the Sangjukeum Weir on Jeonju Stream [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]

A small weir on the upper reaches of Jeonju Stream will be removed through corporate sponsorship and civil society leadership, as the government moves to restore a blocked waterway into a healthy river shared by nature and people alike.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy announced Monday that it had signed a joint implementation agreement for the removal of the Sangjukeum Weir on Jeonju Stream, at the weir site in Sangwan-myeon, Wanju-gun, North Jeolla Province. The agreement was concluded with North Jeolla Province, Wanju-gun, the Forest and Sharing Foundation, Coca-Cola Korea, the North Jeolla Environmental Movement Alliance and the Korea Environment Corporation.

The agreement aims to remove the Sangjukeum Weir, reconnect the severed waterway and restore the continuity of the aquatic ecosystem and the stream's natural character.

Under the agreement, Coca-Cola Korea will provide project funding to the Forest and Sharing Foundation, which will carry out the weir demolition.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, the North Jeolla Regional Environmental Office, North Jeolla Province and Wanju-gun will provide administrative support for the project, while the Korea Environment Corporation will handle technical support.

The North Jeolla Environmental Movement Alliance will raise community awareness of the project's purpose and outcomes and encourage broader public participation.

The Sangjukeum Weir was built in the mid-1970s as a drop weir to maintain the riverbed. It measures 5.9 meters in length and 2.2 meters in height at its cross-section. The removal project will cost about 300 million won ($223,000), with construction set to begin in January and demolition expected to be completed by April.

The ministry plans to establish the Sangjukeum Weir removal as a leading example of public-private collaboration for river restoration and to support the expansion of this model to other rivers across the country.

"This agreement is a meaningful starting point for realizing the changes people want to see in our rivers through corporate sponsorship and public-private cooperation," Climate, Environment and Energy Minister Kim Sung-hwan said. "We will actively support efforts to extend the waterway restoration that begins at Jeonju Stream to rivers throughout the country."


thlee@heraldcorp.com