Jeonju incinerator BTO review sparks protest from civic groups, residents

Jeonju city's plan to build a new wide-area waste incinerator has sparked controversy, with labor and civic groups fiercely opposing a potential shift away from public financing to a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) private investment model. The groups, including the Public Transport Union's North Jeolla branch and the "System Change North Jeolla Network," held a press conference at Jeonju City Hall on the 13th, demanding that Mayor Cho Guk-jin abandon his reconsideration of the project's funding method.

“

The mayor should withdraw his stance on reconsidering the new incinerator construction method and proceed with public financing as originally planned.

The incinerator, intended to process waste from Jeonju and three surrounding counties, is planned for the Samcheondong area by 2030 with a capacity of 550 tons per day. Jeonju city had initially decided in October last year to proceed with public financing, estimating it would save over 200 billion won compared to a private investment approach. However, Mayor Cho, just a month into his term, cited the city's debt and financial situation as reasons to reconsider the project's business model.

“

Reconsidering the business method just one month after Mayor Cho took office, after Jeonju city decided to proceed with public financing through its own feasibility study, is a betrayal of administrative consistency.

Labor and civic groups argue that reconsidering the financing method after a thorough internal review contradicts administrative consistency. They pointed to issues with existing private investment projects, such as the Jeonju Recycling Town, claiming that private investment prioritizes profit over worker safety and has led to "total failure." The groups also raised suspicions about whether the reconsideration is an attempt to favor a specific private company's proposal, demanding the mayor reveal who is advocating for the private investment model.

“

Private investment projects have led to total failure, threatening workers' lives and safety in pursuit of profit.

Residents of Samsan Village in Samcheong-dong, the designated site for the incinerator, also voiced their opposition. They stated they had endured years of hardship and trusted the city's promise of public financing. The sudden introduction of the private investment review by Mayor Cho, they argue, is "unilateral and neglects communication," betraying the trust of the residents.

“

The unilateral decision to review private investment after years of enduring hardship and trusting the city's promise of public financing is a failure of communication that betrays the residents.