‘Stop Building Nuclear Power Plants!’ National Rally Demands Withdrawal of Site Selection

Activists and citizens rallied in Seoul on Friday, demanding the government abandon its nuclear power expansion policy and retract the selection of new sites for nuclear power plants. The protest, organized by the Emergency Action to Stop New Nuclear Power Plants, took place in front of Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno-gu.

Participants voiced strong opposition to the recent decision by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to select Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province as the site for two 1.4-gigawatt (GW) large-scale reactors and Gijang County in Busan for one 0.7-GW small modular reactor (SMR).

"The forceful pursuit of a nuclear 폭주 (runaway) policy without resident consent tramples on the right to life of local residents and is an act of violence that undermines democracy," the protesters stated. They vowed that "construction of nuclear power plants without resident consent will not even allow shovels to be lifted."

Following the rally, participants marched towards the presidential office, carrying banners, signs, and balloons that called for the withdrawal of KHNP's site selections and the termination of the government's nuclear power expansion policy.

The demonstration highlights the ongoing tension between the government's energy strategy and public concerns regarding nuclear safety and local autonomy in South Korea.

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The forceful pursuit of a nuclear 폭주 (runaway) policy without resident consent tramples on the right to life of local residents and is an act of violence that undermines democracy. resident consent without nuclear power plant construction will not even allow shovels to be lifted.