A South Korean court has denied a request to suspend construction of two bridges crossing the Nakdong River estuary, prompting an immediate appeal from environmental groups.
The Busan District Court's First Administrative Division, presided over by Chief Judge Cheon Jong-ho, rejected the injunction filed by environmental organizations against the Busan metropolitan government to halt work on the Eomgung and Jangnakdae bridges, according to legal sources on Wednesday.
"Even if construction proceeds to some extent, there is insufficient evidence that irreversible damage such as ecological destruction affecting whooper swans would occur, or that there is an urgent need to prevent such harm," the court ruled.
The decision found that plaintiffs failed to adequately demonstrate "irreversible damage" and "urgency"—the legal requirements for granting an injunction.
The National Citizens' Action to Protect the Nakdong River Estuary immediately appealed the ruling, calling it "a decision that fails to properly understand the facts of the case."
The Eomgung and Jangnakdae bridges are designed to address transportation demand in western Busan by spanning the Nakdong River. Environmental concerns delayed the projects for years, but construction on the Eomgung Bridge began in April last year, followed recently by work on the Jangnakdae Bridge.