Lee says river refurbishment project to boost regional economies

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday that the near-completed project to refurbish the country's four major rivers will contribute greatly to regional development and stressed the need for a new project to revamp tributaries of those rivers.
"At last, the four large rivers restored their original looks. We will be able to see newly born four rivers next month," Lee said in a speech at the opening ceremony for a regional development convention in the southern city of Gwangju, referring to the massive project to refurbish the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers.
The project "will improve the quality of life for local residents and contribute greatly to developing regional economies," Lee said, adding that the project helped prevent floods in nearby areas in this summer's record-breaking rainfall.
The four rivers project is one of Lee's trademark projects. The government says the project will be helpful in preserving water, controlling floods and promoting tourism, though environmental activists and critics claim it could cause irreversible environmental damage.
Lee also expressed a strong desire for a new project to refurbish the rivers' tributaries.
"We should launch the tributary project next year even if it costs money," Lee said during a visit to the regional development fair.