On April 4, Lee said he plans to coordinate with similarly affected municipalities such as Chuncheon and Chungju to advance a legislator-drafted "Dam Support Special Act" that would provide tangible compensation to communities that have faced restrictions because of the Andong and Imha dams.
He also proposed a citizen-participation model that would allow residents to become shareholders in floating solar projects on the reservoirs and receive direct dividends from the power revenues.
Lee added that, beyond basic restoration of land hit by last year’s wildfires, he intends to attract renewable-energy–based AI and data centers to transform those areas into new growth hubs.
"Andong has long borne sacrifices for national needs but has not received commensurate compensation or sufficient opportunities for local development," Lee said. "Reforming support systems for dam-adjacent areas, returning energy revenues to residents, and turning wildfire-damaged zones into future economic centers are core challenges that must be addressed."
