Seongnam mayor cleared by prosecutors over fish deaths following kayak event on Tancheon

By Yang Geun-hyuk, The Herald Business

Prosecutors have decided not to indict Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin and two current and former heads of the Seongnam Cultural Foundation over allegations that fish died in the Tancheon stream following kayak events held in 2024 and last year. An environmental group had filed a complaint accusing them of violating the Animal Protection Act.

The second criminal division of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office's Seongnam branch, headed by chief prosecutor Gu Min-gi, declined to indict Shin, Seongnam Cultural Foundation President Yun Jeong-guk and former foundation president Seo Jeong-rim on June 12 on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act.

The Seongnam Environmental Movement Union had submitted a complaint against the three to the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit on Nov. 20 last year. The group alleged that Shin and others manipulated a movable weir to raise water levels and secure sufficient depth for kayak events held Oct. 12-13, 2024, and Sept. 27 last year along the Hatap Bridge-Yatap Bridge stretch of Tancheon, causing the downstream section to dry out and resulting in fish deaths.

Kwak Seong-geun, head of the Seongnam Environmental Movement Union, said when filing the complaint that the group had confirmed fish deaths during the preparation and operation of the "2024 and 2025 Seongnam Festival Tancheon Kayak Experience" events, when the city artificially manipulated the movable weir to raise water levels and secure flow. "We determined that the conduct violated Article 10, Paragraph 1, Item 4 and Article 97, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Animal Protection Act, and filed the complaint accordingly," he said.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit forwarded the case to prosecutors in March with a recommendation against indictment. Prosecutors subsequently concluded that while the downstream drying during the 2024 kayak event could be confirmed, there was insufficient evidence to prove that fish had actually died.

As for the event held last year, prosecutors determined there was no evidence of intent on the part of Shin and the others, noting that they had ordered measures to protect the ecosystem and fish — including the installation of underwater pumps, the deployment of dedicated on-site personnel and field inspections by officials in charge.