Press Conference Opposing the Construction of a Hotel on Samhakdo Island in Mokpo... 'Not Opposition but Relocation?'

Chairman Park Hong-ryul: "Samhakdo Preservation, Hotels Should Be Built in South and North Ports"

Mokpo City Samhakdo Hotel Attraction Opposition Press Conference Venue. Photo by Seunghyun Jeong

[Mokpo＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] On the 4th, Park Hongryul, chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Party of the Open Democratic Party, held a press conference opposing the construction of a five-star or higher luxury hotel planned by Mokpo City, Jeonnam, on Samhakdo.

At the press conference, Chairman Park presented four arguments: a hasty decision lacking sufficient citizen opinion gathering process, a direct contradiction to the Samhakdo restoration project which has invested 140 billion won so far, the dangerous idea that land reclamation could disrupt the marine ecosystem, and a decision that does not align with citizens' sentiments.

However, contrary to the opposition stance, the press conference proposed changing the target site to locations such as Mokpo South Port and North Port amusement areas, and Jangjwado, leading some reporters present to respond that this opinion was quite different from Park’s claims of environmental destruction.

In particular, a reporter attending the event questioned, “During Chairman Park’s tenure as Mokpo mayor, the installation of a marine cable car inevitably caused damage to Yudalsan’s natural environment. The current claims about environmental damage from the Samhakdo restoration project and hotel construction seem contradictory.”

In response, Chairman Park rebutted, “The cable car construction was something citizens longed for, and it is a different matter from the Samhakdo restoration project that has been ongoing for decades.”

Meanwhile, regarding the ‘Samhakdo environmental damage and restoration project,’ a Mokpo city official stated, “The site for the currently planned five-star hotel is a reclaimed area formerly known as the coal pier, so damage to the main island of Samhakdo will be minimized, and we will do our best to preserve the natural ecosystem environment through park projects.”

He added, “On the contrary, the South Port site advocated by the Open Democratic Party has been confirmed to host an eco-friendly ship cluster with a central government budget investment of 45 billion won, and it plans to contribute to creating a healthy industrial ecosystem as a major pillar of the local economy,” expressing opposition to the site change.

Meanwhile, the Samhakdo Preservation Association and some civic groups have expressed positive views on attracting a five-star luxury hotel, making a clash of opinions over the opposition inevitable.

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