A Seoul court Tuesday ordered the suspension of the project to reclaim the Saemangeum mud flat along the southwestern coast, putting an end to years of acrimonious debate between the government, local residents, and environmentalists, on the project's viability.

In delivering the ruling in favor of a group of local residents and civic groups, presiding judge Kang Young-ho of the Seoul Administrative Court ruled, "All construction work involving the reclamation project should be suspended."

The court's ruling gave a green light to the injunction filed in June by civic organizations and some 3,500 residents from the Saemangeum area.

The injunction sought suspension of the reclamation work before the court's judgement on another suit filed by the groups in August 2001, which sought nullification of the government permit for reclamation.

A court official predicted the court would be able to deliver a final decision on the case within two to three months if the parties involved do not present additional witnesses.