December 7, 2007, was the day a nightmare began for people residing in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province.
Most of the county’s beaches, fish farms and marine parks turned into black sea of death, due to the oil spill caused by a collision between a Hong Kong-based crude carrier and a crane barge owned by a local firm.
| Bird-eye view of the damage at Mallipo Beach shortly after the oil spill (Yonhap News) |
It was the largest-ever oil spill in Korea, and leaked more than 12,000 kilolitres of oil into the waters. Since the accident, many Taean residents have lost their traditional occupations. In response, the community came together to fight the pollution and protect the local marine ecosystem.
More than 1.2 million volunteer workers gathered to help clean up the spill and protect the sea. Over time, residents and volunteers were able to clean the beach and restore the waters to their previous pristine state. (Left: Volunteers collect oil at Mallipo Beach after the spill on Dec. 7, 2007 (Yonhap News))
Three years have passed since the disaster in Taean County, and another transformation is underway. The county is planning to develop the area as an eco-tourism site, bringing people a chance to see how the area transformed into a “sea of hope” from a “sea of disaster.”
The crystal clear waters of Mallipo Beach now welcome visitors with clean water, sea gulls and white sand. No more traces of oil spill can be found there.
| A current view of Mallipo Beach after restoration efforts (Yonhap News) |
The county took advantage of the restoration following the spill to widen the coastal road and clean the beaches, improving the quality of the waters. Fishermen have returned to the sea and restaurants are serving local fish again, signs of the remarkable turnaround Taean has witnessed. Visitors have returned, too, and the local fish market is busy selling freshly caught seafood. (Right: Fishermen busy preparing nets in Taean, South Chungcheong Province (Yonhap News))
Taean has also been working on upgrading the local area’s tourism infrastructure. The national park services reported on March 15 that it plans to build a 120-kilometer long trekking road by 2013 for tourists to better enjoy the picturesque scenery created by the irregular coastline of the Taean Coast National Marine Park.
The course will run past salt ponds, forests and fishing villages while providing panoramic views of the Yellow Sea. Some sections, like “Solhyanggigil” are already complete, and another phase near Mallip Beach, called “Baragil” will open next year.
| Bird-eye view of Taean Coast National Marine Park (Yonhap News) |
The county will also complete a 4.36-kilometer bicycle road by the end of the year, along with Hwangdo Bridge, which will link Anmyeon and Hwangdo Islands. An eco-park is being constructed at Sinduri Dunes in Wonbuk-myeon to introduce the local marine ecosystem and sand dunes by the end of next year.
For more information about Taean County, click here ) to visit their homepage (Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese).
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
