When it rains in Jeju, the water seeps into the soil and is absorbed into a water vein that slowly flows into the lowlands near the shore. When it reaches the coastline it gushes up to the surface. This spring water has created the island’s unique water culture. Recently, however officials buried and covered one of these natural springs, and critics say it was done without adequate knowledge of the situation. Mike Balfour reports.


Report

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Hwabuk-dong, Jeju City

Next to the wall, a parking lot has been built.

The grayish white color of the cement reveals that the construction has been just recently finished.

### (Old picture dissolves)

There used to be a fresh water spring, known as (중가름물) Junggareummul or (중부락물) Jungburakmul on this spot.

The mossy stones in the area suggest that the spring had run for a long time.

Recording
Gwon Nong-rim / Area resident
We used the water from the spot where the car is parked for drinking. Residents also did laundry and bathed in other parts of the spring.
<싱크 : 권농림 / 인근 주민>
"지금 저기 차 세워진 곳은 먹는 물, 또 그 아래는 빨래하는 물. 이쪽에는 목욕하는 물이 갈라져 있었지."

The Jeju Water and Sewage Office recently buried the spring.

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Water spring buried in October 2016

The office says it buried the water source when installing sewage pipes last year after a request from some area residents.

The residents claimed that the amount of spring water had decreased over the last few years and that the quality of the water had deteriorated.

Recording
Jeju Water and Sewage Office representative
Area residents asked us to bury the spring, saying it was drying up every year. They wanted to build a parking lot above the spring.
<싱크 : 상하수도본부 관계자>
“당시에 거기 용천수가 잘 안나니까 인근 주민들이 메워달라. 차량이라도 세울 수 있도록 활용하겠다는 민원이 있어서….”

The province is not taking responsibility saying that the water and sewage office had not consulted with them beforehand.

Recording
Provincial official
A part of the spring area is private property. We cannot control privately-owned land. However, it’s regrettable that there was no consultation with us beforehand.
<싱크 : 제주도 관계자>
“거기가 보니까 사유지에 포함돼 있어요. 사유지는 저희가 어떻게 할 수 없잖아요. 저희는 관이니까. 다만, 매립할 때 저희한테 협의가 있었으면 좋았겠지만 그런게 아쉽게도 없었던 것은 맞아요.”

In short, ill judgement and the absence of communication between public offices resulted in the elimination of the precious resource..

Recording
Kim Jeong-do / Jeju Federation of Environmental Movements
The province should have sought ways to preserve the spring and solve the issues. This case is typical of unrealistic and impractical administration.
<싱크 : 김정도 / 제주환경운동연합 정책팀장>
“중요한 부분은 어쨌든 문제(용천수 오염)가 발생했다면 어떻게 보존하고 그 문제를 해결할 지를 고민해야 하는데 이런 식으로 문제를 덮어버리는 형태로 진행하는 것은 탁상행정의 표본이 아닌가 생각이 듭니다.”

[Reporter] Mike Balfour
[Camera] Park Byeong-joon

The administration seems indifferent to the preservation of Jeju’s valuable spring water sources, while development projects everywhere on the island are drying them up.

Mike Balfour, KCTV