The Presidential Water Commission (co-chaired by Civilian Chairperson Kim Jwa-goan), in cooperation with the Ministry of Unification (MOU, Minister Chung Dong Young), will hold the “Inter-Korean Shared Rivers Cooperation Policy Forum - From Rivers of Conflict to Rivers of Coexistence” on the afternoon of June 23 at the Taeyoung Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

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

In his opening remarks, MOU Vice Minister Kim Nam Jung is expected to state that “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 two Koreas.” He also plans to emphasize that “to help prevent flood damage to residents in border regions during the monsoon season and periods of heavy rainfall, we hope inter-Korean communication and cooperation will resume so that information on dam water releases can be shared in advance.”

The event will also feature congratulatory remarks by National Assembly members Park Jeong and Yeom Tae-yeong, as well as First Vice Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kum Hanseung, followed by a keynote address from former MOU Minister Kim Yeon-chul.

The forum will feature presentations and panel discussions by academics and experts from international organizations under the overarching theme, “Peaceful Utilization of Inter-Korean Shared Rivers.”

The presentations were delivered in the following order: “The Current Status of Inter-Korean Shared Rivers and the Importance of Cooperation” by Baek Kyeong-oh, member of the Presidential Water Commission; “Key Tasks for Promoting Water and Environmental Cooperation Projects on Shared Rivers” by Cho Yeong-moo, Senior Researcher at the Gyeonggi Research Institute; and “Shared Rivers and Sustainable Development: The Need for Multilateral Cooperation and the Role of the United Nations ESCAP” by Kim Seong-eun, Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The panel discussion will be moderated by Noh Tae-ho, Head of the Planning Commission at the Presidential Water Commission. Experts from organizations including the Hantan River Protection Movement Headquarters, the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, along with the Director of the Climate and Environmental Cooperation Division at the MOU, will discuss ways to promote the peaceful and mutually beneficial use 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.” He added, “The Presidential Water Commission and the MOU plan to work together to develop practical climate and environmental cooperation initiatives for the Korean Peninsula and explore new opportunities for inter-Korean collaboration.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com