By Kim Se-jeong
The government and the city of Samcheok sparred Friday over the latter’s referendum that voted against the building of a nuclear power plant there.
“This is an expression of the people’s wish to veto the government’s plan,” Samcheok Mayor Kim Yang-ho told a press conference. “We will take one step at a time toward that end.”
Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Lee-jae representing the Samcheok constituency pressed the government to respect the “people’s will.”
About 84.97 percent or 24,531 voted against the plan, while 4,082 voted for it. Voter turnout was 68 percent.
However, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the result would not affect its construction plans. .
“We regret that the referendum actually took place despite our disapproval. The results are legally invalid,” the ministry said in a statement Friday.
The result is embarrassing for the central government, which claims the envisioned plant is crucial in tackling a worsening energy shortage. The government chose Samcheok as the site for a nuclear power plant in 2012.
The ministry said that according to the Residents Voting Act, deciding whether to build a nuclear power plant was a matter “under the authority of the central government,” and therefore the issue should not have been put to a referendum.
“Residents may expect this to move things around politically, but legally speaking, the referendum result won’t be able to stop the plan.”
In 1982, the central government chose another spot in the city for a nuclear plant. Longstanding campaigns eventually pushed the government to withdraw the plan in December 1998.
In 2003, the government also gave up a plan to build a radioactive waste disposal facility in Buan in North Jeolla Province after residents held a referendum and vetoed the project. About 91.3 percent of voters said no.
Anti-nuclear plant leaders believe the government improperly picked the city in the first place as it made the decision based on a “manipulated” document, which said 96.9 percent of the citizens were in favor of building a nuclear plant.