[2020 National Audit] "Solar Power is the Cause" vs "Approved During Park Geun-hye Era"... Public Administration Committee's Landslide Dispute

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 7th, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over claims that the frequent landslides this summer were related to solar power generation during the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's National Assembly audit by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee.

The People Power Party pointed out that reckless development caused by solar power generation, a key project of the Moon Jae-in administration, was the cause of the landslides, while the Democratic Party countered that most of the solar power permits in the affected areas were issued during the Park Geun-hye administration.

Kim Yong-pan, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "To prevent damage from floods or landslides, forest conservation by nurturing trees on mountains is important," adding, "A policy that mercilessly destroys carefully nurtured forests appeared during the Moon Jae-in administration. The solar power business is being indiscriminately promoted."

Kim said, "A total of 2.5 million trees were cut down due to the solar power business, and forests equivalent to 17 times the area of Yeouido have disappeared," and questioned, "Is it appropriate for the minister in charge of disaster management to maintain such a solar power policy?" In response, Jin Young, Minister of the Interior and Safety, said, "There are quite a few landslide areas this time, but it cannot be definitively said that solar power is the cause," adding, "If it is the cause, we will look into it."

Minister Jin said, "If we want to pursue an eco-friendly energy policy, expanding solar power is the basic direction, isn't it?" but also stated, "However, there may be negative effects such as forest damage, so we need to improve by measuring the risk of slopes and conducting safety inspections."

Han Jeong-ae, a member of the Democratic Party, said, "Regarding the landslide cases pointed out by Representative Kim, the solar power facilities installed in 2017 would have been permitted during the Park Geun-hye administration," and added, "Most permits were issued by the previous government and construction proceeded, and now strict regulation and management are in place."

Park Wan-su, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out during a parliamentary procedure statement that "it is not appropriate to evaluate or comment on fellow members' questions," and Representative Han apologized, saying, "There was no intention to belittle. If it sounded that way, I apologize." He added, "There are definitely problems with solar power facilities now. However, it is right to clarify the facts about when they were installed."

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