The Rekindled 'Sudogwon Landfill' Debate... Where Is the Destination for Sudogwon's Waste?

Only 3 Years Left Until Closure, but Alternative Landfill Site Not Yet Established
Concerns Over 2.3 Million Tons of Waste from Seoul and Gyeonggi Losing Disposal Destination
Key Issue in Incheon Election, but Concrete Discussions Are Lacking

Panoramic view of the 3rd landfill site at the Sudokwon Landfill Complex. [Photo by Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Attention is focused on the Incheon Metropolitan Landfill Site, which has emerged as the biggest issue in the fiercely contested local elections on June 1 in Gyeonggi and Incheon. Although the landfill site is scheduled to close in 2025, discussions between the government and local governments on establishing an alternative landfill site have stalled.

The Metropolitan Landfill Site was established in 1992 in Seo-gu, Incheon, to handle waste from the Seoul metropolitan area. It processes most of the waste from Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, with about 2.9 million tons of waste brought in last year. At the time of its opening, the landfill was expected to reach capacity by the end of 2016, which was set as the closure date. However, after the introduction of the volume-based waste fee system, waste volume decreased, and since no region secured an alternative landfill site, the usage period was extended. In 2015, the three regions and the Ministry of Environment agreed to use the landfill only up to the first section of the third landfill (1.03 million square meters), which was expected to be full in 10 years, and if an alternative landfill site was not secured by then, to create an additional landfill on the remaining land (1.06 million square meters).

The issue resurfaced in November 2020 when Park Namchun, Mayor of Incheon, announced, "The landfill will be closed after 2025." Mayor Park proposed establishing an Incheon-only landfill on Yeongheungdo Island and pressured Seoul and Gyeonggi to handle their waste based on the "principle of treatment at the source of generation." With only five years left until the closure deadline, Seoul and Gyeonggi had yet to secure alternative landfill sites or additional incineration facilities.

Following Incheon’s announcement, Seoul and Gyeonggi were under urgent pressure. Seoul held two calls for alternative landfill site proposals in 2019 but failed due to no applications from autonomous districts. In December 2020, Seoul formed a site selection committee and began selecting candidates for a metropolitan resource recovery facility. However, the feasibility study was postponed three times due to reasons such as expanding the scope of the project, delaying the timeline to June this year. Gyeonggi plans to add four incinerators by 2026, increasing the total to 33 by 2029. However, opposition from residents in areas like Uijeongbu, where new facilities are planned, remains strong.

Although the creation of alternative landfill sites in Seoul and Gyeonggi has not even begun, urgent measures are needed. According to the Metropolitan Landfill Site Management Corporation, about 79% of the waste brought into the landfill last year came from Seoul and Gyeonggi. Considering that designing and installing incinerators usually takes more than four years, it is predicted that the approximately 2.31 million tons of waste generated annually will have nowhere to go.

The Metropolitan Landfill Site has become the biggest issue in the upcoming Incheon mayoral election scheduled for next month. Yoo Jeongbok, the People Power Party candidate for Incheon mayor, pledged to secure an alternative landfill site through an agreement between the Ministry of Environment and the metropolitan area, while Park Namchun, the Democratic Party candidate, emphasized "waste independence" and advocated for establishing an Incheon-only landfill.

However, as the election approaches, landfill-related pledges are being used only as tools to criticize opponents. Yoo criticized incumbent Mayor Park for being passive about establishing an alternative landfill site and blamed him for the stalled agreement. In response, Park argued that establishing an alternative landfill site is practically impossible and countered, "When Yoo was mayor, he added a caveat to the four-party agreement, giving a pretext to use the Metropolitan Landfill Site permanently."

On the 17th, Park said that Pocheon in Gyeonggi had been designated as an alternative site for the Metropolitan Landfill, sparking controversy even in the Gyeonggi local elections. As the controversy spread, the Ministry of Environment denied that any specific area had been mentioned but stated, "We are reviewing several candidate sites in Gyeonggi." Kim Eunhye, the People Power Party candidate for Gyeonggi governor, criticized, "Who did they consult with about the 'Pocheon alternative landfill' that neither the Ministry of Environment nor Pocheon City knows about?" and accused the Democratic Party of "treating northern Gyeonggi as the metropolitan landfill." Kim Dongyeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Gyeonggi governor, rebutted, "The transition team received this information from the Ministry of Environment. The People Power Party could not have been unaware of this."

President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged during his presidential campaign to "form a prime minister-led committee to promote the relocation of the Metropolitan Landfill Site and the creation of an alternative site." However, aside from "expanding incentives," no concrete plans have been presented, raising concerns that it may be a populist pledge. Since President Yoon promised, "I am well aware of the pain and damage suffered by Incheon citizens over the past 30 years. I will definitely resolve this issue during my term," it appears that the government and metropolitan local governments need to promptly reach an agreement after the June 1 local elections.

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