The Quiet Wolsong... Division After Public Debate on Maekseuteo Expansion

Conflict Among Donggyeongju 3 Eupmyeon Council
Three Resident Briefings Canceled
Four Weeks of Deliberation Since Last Month 27
If Expansion Not Completed by March 2022
Daegu-Gyeongbuk Power 21.9% Shutdown
Electricity Rate Hike and Power Supply Instability

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] "It has been over a month since I last contacted the neighbor I used to eat with warmly. This government is suddenly pushing the spent nuclear fuel storage facility (MACSTOR) as a subject for public discussion. I don’t understand why a safety facility for spent nuclear fuel, not even the construction of a nuclear power plant, is becoming a political controversy. Why do residents have to fight because of this?"

In the 'East Gyeongju 3 Eup-Myeon (Yangnam-myeon, Yangbuk-myeon, Gampo-eup)' area within 15 km of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, a committee operates among residents. It is a consultative body that discusses not only nuclear power but also the major and minor affairs of the eup and myeon. Members say they have not contacted each other since May. This is due to differences of opinion over the expansion of the MACSTOR for Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Units 2, 3, and 4. One side says, "Why is a facility necessary for operating the nuclear power plant safely a subject of controversy?" while the other argues, "It turns out nuclear waste is increasing. Now it must be closed."

◆ If opposition prevails in the deliberation process, MACSTOR construction will be delayed = Currently, the regional implementation body under the Spent Nuclear Fuel Reexamination Committee (Reexamination Committee) is conducting a resident deliberation process on whether to expand the MACSTOR. The deliberation process involves 150 participants, including 100 residents from the East Gyeongju 3 Eup-Myeon and 50 citizens of Gyeongju. The four-week deliberation process started on the 27th of last month.

So far, three resident briefing sessions have been disrupted. Opposition from some Yangnam-myeon residents and anti-nuclear groups is known to be the main cause. To meet the "August construction start," the deliberation process cannot be postponed any further. Although former Reexamination Committee Chairperson Jeong Jeonghwa resigned midway and Kim Soyoung was newly appointed on the 1st, intense debates are expected regardless during the deliberation process. Among the 100 East Gyeongju 3 Eup-Myeon residents participating in the deliberation, 42 are Yangnam-myeon residents living within 2 to 3 km of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, and fierce pro and con debates are already underway among them. The opinions of the remaining 58 residents from Yangbuk-myeon and Gampo-eup, as well as the 50 Gyeongju citizens, cannot be ignored.

Unlike the public discussion for the construction of Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 5 and 6, which was decided by a majority vote, this process proceeds by producing a consensus statement after deliberation. If support for expansion prevails, the process will proceed with "reporting the construction of the structure to Gyeongju City → the Reexamination Committee submitting the consensus statement to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy," after which Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Wolseong Headquarters will immediately begin construction.

In the worst case, operation of Wolseong Units 2 to 4 may have to be suspended. If opposition to expansion prevails in the deliberation process, the MACSTOR construction, which takes 19 months, will be delayed. Since the MACSTOR will be full by March 2022, if it is not built before then, Wolseong Units 2 to 4 must be shut down for safety. Because of this, 21.9% of Daegu and Gyeongbuk’s electricity supply would be shut down temporarily, leading to electricity rate increases and power supply instability, which Gyeongju residents and the public would have to bear together.

◆ Local residents say "Safety facility expansion is being politicized" = Residents met locally expressed serious concerns that the government’s MACSTOR expansion is being "politicized." The MACSTOR has existed since the nuclear power plant was built in 1978, but under this government, the expansion of safety facilities has become "politicized."

Resident A said, "This government seems to be steering public discussion toward 'not doing' the expansion of well-functioning facilities, beyond just considering where and how to build permanent or temporary storage facilities."

Resident B said, "When Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant was constructed, it was under the Park Chung-hee regime, so no one dared to oppose it. Managing the spent nuclear fuel storage facility is an essential task for safety, but discussing whether to remove or exclude related facilities is unprecedented. I don’t understand it."

Especially, Yangnam-myeon residents near Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant were puzzled by the current situation, where due to the disruption of three resident briefing sessions, the area is perceived as "taken over by anti-nuclear groups." Even just looking at the banners fluttering on the streets shows that there are quite a few supporters as well.

Some residents said, "Outsiders who have never even visited are presumptuously guessing 'Wolseong public opinion' based on a few survey results and news." They also expressed distrust in the government’s sincerity regarding spent nuclear fuel facility management. They said the stress is accumulating day by day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.