S. Korea to spend 240 bln won annually for maintenance of 4 rivers

SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will spend 240 billion won (US$222 million) every year mostly for the maintenance of the nation's four major rivers being refurbished under the government's water-management project, the land and transportation ministry said Wednesday.
The money will also be used to maintain and repair reservoirs, bio parks, bicycle roads and other facilities built along the rivers, according to a budget proposal submitted to the president by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
The budget plan comes as the government will likely complete its refurbishment work for the four rivers -- the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan -- next year. Construction of riverside facilities will also be completed later this year.
The so-called four-river restoration project was launched in 2009 in order to enhance the nation's overall water management.
But it has drawn strong opposition from environmental activists and critics who claim that it could cause irreversible environmental damage.
The maintenance budget, which will also be used for other smaller rivers, is much higher than the annual budget of about 25 billion won set aside by municipal and provincial governments for similar purposes.
The spike is due to increased facilities and areas that need government monitoring for maintenance due to the four-river project, the ministry said. It plans to execute the budget starting next year.
kokobj@yna.co.kr