Daegu wetland project pits public access against preservation

Controversy over a planned riverside walkway through a natural wetland in Daegu has become a test of how South Korea should balance environmental conservation with residents’ demands for public access to nature.

The Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office is seeking to build a pedestrian bridge and walkway through Palhyeon Wetland, a naturally formed riverside habitat near downtown Daegu that is home to several legally protected species.

The project has been stalled for four years amid oppositi ...