By Lee Hyo-sik
Korea aims to win a big piece of an $11 billion water management project in Thailand and high-level promotion is underway.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Kwon Do-youp, the minister of land, transport and maritime affairs, said, “We will double our efforts to promote our successful four-river project in Thailand,” Kwon said.
About 25 river systems in Thailand are up for refurbishment, a priority for Bangkok after severe flooding last year; and Korea has proven its skill in river restoration.
The state-run K-Water has formed a consortium with six construction firms, including Hyundai and GS.
The consortium is to submit a preliminary bid by Aug. 24. If it passes an initial screening, it will then file an official bid in November.
Thailand has said it will select preferred bidders by the end of the year. Firms from Korea, Japan, China and the Netherlands are expected to make bids.
“The first step is always the hardest. If we win the Thai project, it will be much easier for us to secure orders from others countries,” the minister said.
Kwon added that he and other senior government officials will visit the Southeast Asian nation this year to promote Korea’s know-how in flood prevention and water management.
He has already visited Thailand for three days and met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other senior government officials.
The minister signed a memorandum of understanding with his Thai counterpart for boosting bilateral cooperation on water management.
Earlier in March, Prime Minister Shinawatra visited a reservoir near the Namhan River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
She expressed interest in learning about Korea’s flood control and water management systems as the Southeast Asian nation failed to prevent the worst flood in its history last year.
Kwon said Korea developed a comprehensive water management system by undertaking the 22.2 trillion won restoration work between 2010 and 2011.
The project is said to have strengthened the capability of four main river systems — the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan — across the country by building dams, reservoirs and other water-management facilities.
“The restoration scheme has enabled us to secure plenty of water and better cope with droughts and floods. At the same time, the waterways have become a tourist attraction for those seeking to engage in water-based leisure,” Kwon said.
“Thanks to the restoration work that dredged riverbeds, reinforced the levees and built weirs, flood damage on the four major rivers was minimal. This year, the country was able to procure enough water, despite a severe summer drought in July,” the minister said.
Regarding the future use of the site of Yeosu Expo, Kwon said Korea’s second international trade fair was successful, despite minor operational mishaps in the early stages.
“The expo had a difficulty in attracting visitors in the first few weeks. But an increasing number of people came to tour the 2.71 square-kilometer venue in southwestern port city of South Jeolla Province, as it was more widely publicized,” he said.