Once forgotten, Seomjin River poised to join ranks of Korea's great waterways

GWANGYANG, South Jeolla — Left out of the landmark 2008 project to restore four of Korea's major rivers, the Seomjin River was inevitably pushed to the margins of the national conversation. But now, Korea’s environment minister, Kim Sung-whan, is seeking to elevate it to the ranks of the country's other major rivers, citing its vast scale and exceptional ecological health.

“To transition from a four-river framework to a five-river system, we are reviewing the establishment of a basin environmental office dedicated to the Seomjin River,” Kim said on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the river, from the Seomjin Dam to its estuary.

“The Seomjin River is Korea’s fourth-longest river — longer than the Yeongsan River — yet it is currently managed only through branch offices. A dedicated agency is needed to ensure more systematic and effective government oversight.”

Flowing through 15 cities and counties across three provinces — North Jeolla, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang — the Seomjin River stretches 222 kilometers (138 miles) and drains a basin of roughly 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles), surpassing the Yeongsan River in both length and watershed area.

Korea’s "four major rivers," as they are often called in a legal or policy context, are the Nakdong River at 510 kilometers, the Han River at 490 kilometers, the Geum River at 398 kilometers and the Yeongsan River at 133 kilometers, and they are overseen by dedicated river basin environmental offices, which are responsible for water quality management, source-water protection and community support programs.

When the Lee Myung-bak administration pushed the so-called Four Major Rivers Restoration Project in 2008, which prioritized flood control and water security through the construction of 16 weirs, five dams and 96 reservoirs, the Seomjin River was excluded from the list due to its relatively sparse population and lesser demand for water resources.

A levee along the Seomjin River collapsed during torrential rains in 2020, which prompted fierce criticism that the river’s exclusion from the project had left it more vulnerable to flooding.

“We have introduced AI-powered flood forecasting and significantly expanded flood warning coverage along smaller local rivers, where flood damage is most frequent,” Kim said. “In the Seomjin River, 59 flood-prone sites are now under intensive monitoring.”

Since 2020, the number of flood warning points on vulnerable local rivers has increased more than ninefold, from 12 to 111.

“The adoption of AI has reduced the time required to issue flood alerts from 30 minutes to 10 minutes,” Kim added. “The number of designated warning locations has also nearly tripled, to 223 from 75, with a particular focus on local rivers, helping to mitigate flood damage.” 

Chronic water shortages in the Seomjin River have long remained a persistent concern. The river supplies irrigation water to farms in North Jeolla and industrial water to manufacturing complexes in South Jeolla, while declining flows have heightened concerns over saltwater intrusion in downstream areas.

“Given recent changes in climate conditions, dam operations and agricultural water demand, a comprehensive review of how water resources in the Seomjin can be used more efficiently is urgently needed,” Kim said.

“The ministry will also reassess water allocations based on actual demand, adjusting excess supply volumes that were projected under outdated assumptions such as overestimated population growth, delayed development projects and declining industrial demand.”

Establishing a dedicated basin environmental office for the Seomjin River will require consultations with the presidential office, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Finance Ministry. 

If approved, the authority’s location will be determined through an independent review process to ensure a fair and transparent decision. Potential host cities include Namwon, Gokseong, Gurye, Hadong and Gwangyang.

BY SARAH CHEA   [[email protected]]