- Saemangeum Regular Seawater Distribution Movement Headquarters Calls for Immediate Halt to Forced Sales

Citizen groups have strongly opposed and taken a stand against the Saemangeum Smart Tidal City project, which is being pushed forward without safety verification. The Saemangeum Regular Seawater Distribution Movement Headquarters released a statement on the 27th demanding an immediate halt to the fraudulent administrative rush for sales without any scientific verification by the Saemangeum Development Corporation.

The movement headquarters pointed out that the tidal city is exposed to complex risks such as floods, inundation, sea level rise, subsidence, and earthquakes, but the project proponents have not provided clear contingency plans. They emphasized that the installation height of the drainage discharge unit is almost the same as the water level of the Saemangeum Lake, warning that large-scale inundation due to backflow during floods is a "predictable disaster."

Furthermore, they criticized the project for proceeding without scenarios for typhoons and storm surges, strategies for pump failure preparedness, and even without a long-term impact assessment, stating that if sea level rise accelerates due to the climate crisis, "permanent flooding could occur even during normal times."

Concerns about earthquake risks were also raised. The movement headquarters warned that with the entire city being built on weak sedimentary layers up to 40 meters deep, amplification of earthquake waves due to ground characteristics could lead to greater damages, mentioning the recent magnitude 4.9 earthquake in Buan, North Jeolla Province as a risk factor.

They also raised issues regarding the structural vulnerability of the semi-landfill site. The movement headquarters claimed that it may be difficult to secure the 2-3 meter thick layer of clay and rocks necessary for stability, suggesting that there is a possibility it has not been actually implemented. Referring to large-scale subsidence cases from similar landfill sites like the Myeongji International City, they emphasized the urgent need for independent and fair verification.

The movement headquarters strongly condemned the current stage of the project, stating that it is not a smart city, not a safe city, and not a city of the future. They demanded an immediate halt to the sales process, the establishment of an independent public safety verification committee, a comprehensive redesign reflecting the climate crisis, and clear delineation of national and corporation responsibilities in case of damages.

The movement headquarters stressed that repeating the precedent of a major failure crisis occurring despite repeatedly saying "we are prepared" during the World Cup Jeonbuk incident cannot be allowed, and emphasized that a comprehensive reassessment is necessary now for the future of Saemangeum.