MOU and Water Commission Jointly Host “Inter-Korean Shared Rivers Cooperation Policy Forum”

Peace and Coexistence through Water
MOU and Water Commission Jointly Host "Inter-Korean Shared Rivers Cooperation Policy Forum" (June 23)

[Related National Agenda] 115. Promoting Mutually Beneficial Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation that Earn Public Support

On June 23, the Ministry of Unification (Minister Chung Dong Young) and the Presidential Water Commission (Civilian Chairperson Kim Jwa-goan) jointly hosted the "Inter-Korean Shared Rivers Cooperation Policy Forum - From Rivers of Conflict to Rivers of Coexistence."

The forum was organized to explore ways to promote the peaceful use of inter-Korean shared rivers, including the Imjingang River, as the annual flood season (June 21-September 20) begins and climate change increases the risk of heavy rainfall and flooding in border regions.

In his opening remarks, Vice Minister of Unification Kim Nam Jung emphasized, "Cooperation on inter-Korean shared rivers is a practical and mutually beneficial form of collaboration directly tied to the lives and safety of people on the Korean Peninsula, and can serve as a starting point for building trust between the South and the North." He added, "To prevent flood damage for residents in border regions during the monsoon season and periods of heavy rain, we hope that inter-Korean communication and cooperation will resume so that the South and the North can share dam discharge information in advance."

Subsequently, the event proceeded with presentations and panel discussion by academics and experts from international organizations under the overarching theme, "Peaceful Utilization of Inter-Korean Shared Rivers."

The presentations covered: "The Current Status of Inter-Korean Shared Rivers and the Importance of Cooperation" by Baek Kyeong-oh, member of the Commission; "Key Tasks for Promoting Water and Environmental Cooperation Projects on Shared Rivers" by Cho Yeong-moo, Senior Research Fellow at the Gyeonggi Research Institute; and "Shared Rivers and Sustainable Development: The Necessity of Multilateral Cooperation and the Role of ESCAP" by Kim Sung-eun, Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

In the panel discussion, Noh Tae-ho, Head of the Planning Commission at the Presidential Water Commission, served as the moderator, and experts from relevant organizations along with the Director of the Climate and Environmental Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Unification participated to discuss ways to promote the peaceful and mutually beneficial utilization of inter-Korean shared rivers.

Kim Jwa-goan, Chairperson of the Presidential Water Commission, stated, "Cooperation on inter-Korean shared rivers can serve as a catalyst for peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "The Presidential Water Commission and the Ministry of Unification plan to work together to develop practical climate and environmental cooperation on the Korean Peninsula and seek new possibilities for inter-Korean cooperation."