Site Selection for Industrial Complex Power Lines Halted for One Month Amid Local Protests

The Hankyoreh reports that the selection process for the location of high-voltage transmission lines, intended to supply power to the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex, has been suspended for one month. This decision comes after intense opposition from communities in the areas where the lines are slated to pass. Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Seong-hwan met with representatives from the 'National Action Against High-Voltage Transmission Towers for Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex' and agreed to halt the current site selection committee proceedings. The ministry pledged to pursue more democratic procedures and explore alternative solutions. However, the article expresses skepticism about whether viable alternatives can be found within just one month. Local activists are demanding more than just procedural improvements, calling for a decentralization of power demand away from the Seoul metropolitan area and greater consideration of energy storage systems and the efficient use of existing infrastructure. The protests highlight a growing conflict between national industrial development goals and local community concerns over environmental impact and the burden of infrastructure projects.

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The idea that only the transmission tower construction process needs to be democratic is wrong. The government must actively consider decentralizing power demand in the Seoul metropolitan area and alternatives for facilities planned in the Seoul metropolitan area.