By Kim Rahn
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said he would revive the ecological and historical features of Cheonggye Stream, saying the previous restoration was done in haste without enough consideration.
Park said Tuesday the city will form a committee comprised of experts for the re-restoration, during a walking inspection along the 5.8-kilometer stream with environmental professionals.
His plan is based on criticism that the restoration conducted by then Mayor Lee Myung-bak between 2003 and 2005 was problematic and neglected the history and culture of the stream and nearby areas.
“I learned that Cheonggye Stream was redeveloped using an advance waterway construction method. Demolishing the ugly overpass covering the stream was a good decision. But during the process, the former mayor lacked ecological and historical perspective,” Park said.
He said Seoul, which was Joseon Kingdom’s capital for over 600 years, has many historical relics but one of its most wonderful heritages was restored without appropriate plans. “We need another restoration with enough historical research so that we do not repeat such a mistake,” he said.
Park said civic groups, environmental experts and historians will form a decision making group to determine which should be rectified first among the “wrongfully” restored sections of the stream.
“There may be things that can be done without huge changes or without much budget. Such things will have priority,” he said.
The city considered moving Supyo Bridge, which was moved to Jangchungdan Park in 1959 when the stream was covered with concrete to become roadways, to the original site in Cheonggye 2-ga. But the plan may be reconsidered as experts pointed out the current depth and width of the stream is different from that time. Currently there is a bridge modeled on the old one.
In the inspection, accompanying experts said during the restoration work under former mayor Lee, many historic relics were excavated, including stones and wood pieces that showed the Joseon Kingdom’s construction methods, but were all removed and destroyed.
“Some unearthed stones, which are presumed to have been used in the original construction of the stream, are currently abandoned at a sewage disposal plant,” a professor said.
They also said Cheonggye Stream is very artificial.
“Underground water near the stream doesn’t join it. The stream lacks the ability of self-purification, so pollutants just flow through the stream and the water doesn’t get cleaned,” he said.