The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea announced on January 30 that it will start mediation proceedings to resolve the conflict between a Korean company and the Tumandok people and their supporters. At the center of the dispute is Daewoo Engineering and Construction’s involvement in the Jalaur River Dam and Irrigation Project.

The National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct meeting for 2026 reviewed the complaint filed against the company and decided to start the proceedings.

The Jalaur River for the People’s Movement (JRPM), together with the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) and the Business and Human Rights Network, filed a complaint before the NCP against the company in September 2025. The complaint asserted that the military and police violated the rights of the Tumandok residents in the project area. The groups added that Daewoo made no effort to stop the human rights violations or to address the situation.

The project will displace around 17,000 individuals, destroy their livelihoods, and eradicate the Tumandok’s cultural heritage. Colluding with the project’s financiers, nine Tumandok were massacred in 2020 and 16 other indigenous residents arrested for opposing the dam project.

Daewoo secured the project commissioned by the National Irrigation Administration of the Philippines in September 2018. The project is being implemented with financial support from the South Korean government through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund granted to the Philippine government.