South Korea faces choice: scenic park or villages for semiconductor power line

South Korea is grappling with a critical infrastructure decision that pits economic development against environmental preservation and community well-being. A government-backed project to construct a major power transmission line, designed to channel electricity from the southern Honam region to the power-hungry Seoul metropolitan area, has landed Chungcheongnam-do province with a stark choice: sacrifice a portion of the scenic Daedunsan Provincial Park or route the line through inhabited villages.

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If we clear mountain land for transmission towers, the risk of landslides and forest fires will increase, and it will also disrupt the ecosystem.

The proposed route involves installing 3.5 kilometers of power lines and approximately 7 to 8 transmission towers. The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is weighing two options. One path cuts through Daedunsan Provincial Park, a natural area known for its dramatic rock formations and rich biodiversity, including 9 protected species among its 1,648 cataloged flora and fauna. This route, however, risks damaging the ecosystem and diminishing the park's tourism appeal.

The alternative is to run the transmission line through several villages in Geumsan's Jinsan-myeon. Residents in these communities are strongly opposed to this option, arguing that the line would disrupt their lives and negatively impact their living environment. A committee representing residents stated that a preference survey indicated that the living environment was scored higher than the natural environment, implying that areas where people live are less suitable for such infrastructure.

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In the preference survey, the living environment scored higher than the natural environment. This means that areas where people live are not suitable (for the transmission line).

This decision has sparked inter-regional conflict. If the route through Daedunsan is chosen, the transmission line would be closer to Nonsan, a neighboring city. Officials from Nonsan have expressed opposition, citing potential harm to residents in the Myeokmok-ri area of Beolgok-myeon. KEPCO noted that there are no known precedents for transmission lines being built in natural parks, although exceptions can be made under the Natural Parks Act if deemed unavoidable due to a lack of alternative sites.

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If the Daedunsan route is confirmed, residents of Myeokmok-ri in Beolgok-myeon will be harmed.

Some critics argue that the entire project, which aims to connect the Honam region to the Seoul metropolitan area, should be reconsidered. They advocate for a principle of "local production for local consumption" (jisan-jiso), suggesting that generating electricity closer to where it is needed would minimize the impact on specific regions. This approach, they contend, would prevent situations where one area must bear the burden for the benefit of another.

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There are no known cases of transmission lines being built in natural parks.