By Kim Jae-won
K-water said on Friday that it will file a complaint with the prosecution next week against an environmental activist, who allegedly spread false information on the state-run water management company earlier this week in Thailand.
According to K-water, Yeom Hyung-chul, the secretary general of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM), told Thai journalists that the company lacks the ability to take on a $6 billion water management project from the Thai government.
Yeom claimed that K-water had no experience of dealing with such a big project and that the company is in a bad financial condition.
His claim came after K-water was picked as a preferred bidder for the project.
“Yeom spread false rumors to defame our company because all of his remarks are false or groundless,” said Park Ji-hyun, an official of the company.
Thai Post, a vernacular newspaper, reported Yeom’s claims on Wednesday. He told the publication that the Korean government offered some under-the-table deals to win the contract and that K-water has no experience of handling such a big construction project.
The report is a hot issue in the country, and has put the Korean company in a difficult situation. K-water was waiting to sign the deal in September.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also regretted the environmental group’s smear campaign against the state-run company.
“It’s nonsense that he spreads such false rumors at a critical time when K-water is competing fiercely with international rivals to win the project,” a ministry official said. “We are going to take all legal steps against the group.”
KFEM, however, denied the allegations, saying the organization suggested Thai people examine the project thoroughly before launching the project.
“We said that Thai people should know how the project will affect the environment and residents. We did not express any opinion on K-water,” said the group in a statement.