Incinerator to be relocated from city center but capacity expansion planned? ... Oh Gyuseok, Busan Gijang County Governor, holds 33rd solo protest

"Opposition to NC Medi's Permit Change for Medical Waste Incineration in Jeonggwan-eup"

On the 26th, Oh Gyu-seok, mayor of Busan's Gijang County, held his 33rd solo protest in front of the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office in Uichang District, Changwon City, Gyeongnam, opposing the capacity expansion of the medical waste incineration facility in Jeonggwan-eup.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Oh Gyu-seok, the mayor of Busan's Gijang County, opposed the capacity expansion of the medical waste incineration facility in the area and held his 33rd solo protest.

Mayor Oh conducted a picket protest at 3:05 p.m. on the 26th in front of the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office in Uichang-gu, Changwon City, opposing the change permit for the incineration capacity expansion of NC Medi, a medical waste intermediate disposal company located in Yongsu-ri, Jeonggwan-eup.

Mayor Oh pointed out the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office, which caused the complaint, saying, “In 1997, Jeonggwan-eup in Gijang County was designated as a planned residential development area, with an expected population relocation of about 100,000 people in the future, and the operation of the medical waste incineration facility was newly permitted in 2005.”

This incineration facility has become the target of collective complaints such as foul odors from residents of Jeonggwan New Town.

Oh Gyu-seok, mayor of Gijang County, said, “Approving the change permit for the incineration capacity expansion of the incineration plant amid serious complaints is an act that makes residents suffer more,” and added, “I will continue the solo protest until the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office rejects the change permit.”

He also argued, “For NC Medi to increase the incineration capacity fivefold, the urban and county management plan must first be established as a prerequisite.”

Currently, the authority to establish urban and county management plans lies with the mayor of Gijang County, and the decision-making authority rests with the mayor of Busan.

If the county mayor does not establish the urban and county management plan, the mayor of Busan cannot make any decisions regarding the urban and county management plan.

Therefore, Mayor Oh and the Gijang County Office oppose the expansion on the grounds that they will not establish the urban and county management plan necessary for the fivefold incineration capacity expansion permit for NC Medi, meaning there is no plan content for Busan City to decide on.

Mayor Oh Gyu-seok stated, “Gijang County has designated NC Medi as a foul odor emission facility and is pursuing an order to improve the facility, currently engaged in litigation with NC Medi, and recently, the Supreme Court decided to remand the case in favor of Gijang County,” adding, “If the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office forcibly approves the conditional permit for NC Medi’s incineration capacity expansion, we will hold them accountable.”

Gijang County’s position is that the incineration facility is located in the middle of Jeonggwan New Town, where about 82,000 people currently reside, and considering the residents of Jeonggwan-eup suffering from foul odors and harmful substances, it should be relocated outside the area.

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