hankyoreh

Gyeonggi Province

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK), under president Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Jeju, expressed concern on Friday that the Lee Myung-bak administration’s Four Major Rivers Restoration Project will cause fatal damage to the natural environment. CBCK stated that it would “pray that the government will be able choose the responsible and conscientious path.”

This statement of opinion from the CBCK, which represents the Catholic Church in Korea, appears likely to have a considerable impact on the Lee Myung-bak administration’s pursuit of the project, as it was not only an expression of opposition but an effective call for a halt to the project.


During a press conference held Friday at the CBCK building in the Junggok neighborhood of Seoul’s Gwangjin District, the organization said, “All of South Korea’s Catholic bishops are deeply concerned that the Four Major Rivers project currently being carried out simultaneously at multiple locations throughout the country will cause fatal damage to the natural environment.” The conference, which is composed of 22 bishops, gathered these opinions through their regular spring assemblies held between Mar. 8 and 11.

The CBCK said, “We cannot understand why a large-scale project, from which our natural environment is unlikely to be able to recover, must be pushed forward so urgently, even going so far as to circumvent law and procedure, without any citizen consensus.”

Those at the conference asked, “Who can be held responsible for the damages resulting from rash development?”

CBCK went on to say, “We urge reflection and repentance from all of society, including ourselves, and we pray that government authorities and all citizens can choose the responsible and conscientious path for future generations.”

CBCK is an association for all South Korean bishops, with the goal of discussing and finding solutions for shared issues inside and outside the church. However, since the democracy movement of the 1980s, it has been unusual for the organization to make a direct expression of concern on a social issue.

Reporting on the results of the regular assemblies, Rev. Kang said, “We heard the opinions of the government working group pushing the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project and the opponents of the project, but the government’s explanation has been severely inadequate.”

He added, “The shared concern of all bishops is that they cannot understand why this project is being carried out so hastily.”

CBCK plans to carry out a systematic study of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project and report the results to parishioners. An official with the conference said, “We will set up life committees in each diocese and parish church and deal with the Four Major Rivers matter in earnest.”

CBCK also plans to issue a white paper in September on the development of the Four Major Rivers and environmental issues.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]