ed Dispute on nuclear plant

Residents of Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, want to hold referendum over plans to build a nuclear power plant there. The move comes after voters in Samcheok, a city in the east province of Gangwon, rejected a similar project in an unofficial referendum last week.

The two cities were chosen as possible locations for nuclear power plants in December 2011, following applications in 2010 under consent from their respective local councils. However, nearly 85 percent of the 28,867 residents of Samcheok who cast ballots last week said no to the central-government plan to build a plant in their neighborhood.

The rejection was largely expected ― after all, an independent mayoral candidate beat the incumbent in the June 4 local elections thanks largely to his campaign pledge to scrap the nuclear project. There have been many pros and cons discussed in Samcheok concerning the nuclear plant, but the citizens’ sentiment changed markedly after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

Officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the referendum, organized by the local city council, has no legal validity because legitimate state projects such as this are not subject to a referendum. Regardless, it’s all but impossible to push for the project at a time when an overwhelming majority of citizens, as well as the incumbent mayor, remain firmly opposed.

The energy ministry announced plans last December to raise the proportion of total power generated by nuclear plants to 29 percent. This increase would come from the construction of 20 more reactors by 2035 under the National Energy Plan. Such an outcome will be in severe doubt, however, if residents in Yeongdeok follow those in Samcheok and vote to reject the plan.

There has been a global trend to curtail nuclear energy after the Fukushima meltdown raised questions over the safety of nuclear power stations. It might be desirable for Korea to shy away from nuclear power generation right now, but this can’t be a realistic option, considering the slow pace of renewable energy development.

The central government, along with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., should therefore leave no stone unturned in persuading the residents, while at the same time focusing more on developing alternative energy sources. Specifically, it will be necessary to convince residents about the safety of atomic power plants, both in construction and operation, as well as providing state aid in exchange for allowing the stations to be built there.

Residents in the two cities need to be reminded that nuclear power plants are badly needed to provide a stable supply of energy at a national level. Locally, hosting nuclear power plants can often serve as a catalyst for regional development thanks to a combination of state aid and job creation, especially in construction.