ed Conflict in Miryang
The Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) resumed construction of high-voltage transmission cable towers in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday, nearly eight months after work on them was suspended due to fierce opposition from residents.
KEPCO planned to resume the work in six areas across the city but was unable to do so in two districts because residents blocked worker’s access to the construction sites. About 500 police officers were mobilized to brace for possible clashes between KEPCO workers and residents. Some residents reportedly threatened to hang themselves if the workers entered the construction sites.
On Saturday, the state power monopoly issued an appeal calling for understanding and cooperation from residents in restarting the construction of 52 towers in the southeastern city, part of a 90.5-kilometer transmission network that links the newly-built unit 3 of the Shin Gori nuclear power plant in Ulsan to an electricity substation in Changnyeong. Of the 161 planned transmission towers, 109 that run through four other cities and counties have already been completed.
KEPCO suspended the tower construction in Miryang in September last year. Earlier that year, a farmer in his 70s from Miryang burned himself to death as a protest against the construction. The government and KEPCO have been organizing numerous meetings to persuade residents to accept construction of the towers, but many residents still oppose the plan despite compensation and other incentives.
It’s quite regrettable that the government’s energy policy is facing a hitch because of the delayed construction of transmission towers. Monday’s construction resumption may have been inevitable, given that the construction was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010. Even if the construction work goes on smoothly from now on, it would be all but impossible for KEPCO to finish the transmission network by the end of the year, when the 1.4 million kilowatt Shin Gori unit 3 is completed. This will augur ill for the nation’s power supply during the coming winter.
Residents in Miryang demand that cables be buried underground, citing the danger of electromagnetic waves, damage to the natural landscape and plummeting land prices. But their demand seems far from reality, considering that more than 2 trillion won is needed over nearly 10 years.
Nonetheless, the government needs to be more patient, given that KEPCO has lost confidence among residents. Specifically, a fresh channel of communication needs to be put into operation in the presence of experts so that a fair and wise solution can be negotiated. The Miryang case may set a good precedent when it comes to dealing with large national projects.