New County Governor Also Holds a 'Picket'... Jeong Jong-bok, Busan Gijang County Governor, Stages Solo Protest Against New Medical Waste Incinerator Installation

"No Acceptance of Project Plans Without Reflecting Residents' Opinions"

Jung Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang-gun, is holding a solo protest in front of the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office in Uichang-gu, Changwon-si on the 16th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Jeong Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang-gun, Busan, held his first solo protest since taking office.

He took over the baton of the protest against the installation of a medical waste incineration plant in Jeonggwan-eup, which was led by former mayor Oh Gyu-seok. Attention is focused on the new mayor's 'performance' following the former mayor.

On the 16th at 11 a.m., Mayor Jeong held a placard in front of the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office, the licensing authority, to oppose the installation of a new incineration plant by the medical waste incineration company NC Medi.

NC Medi operates a medical waste incineration plant just about 200 meters away from the apartment complex in Jeonggwan New Town, where approximately 80,000 people reside, and the odor generated has become a source of complaints from Jeonggwan New Town residents.

The residents are demanding measures such as suspension of operation for NC Medi's existing incineration plant, and Gijang-gun strongly opposes the new incineration plant proposed by the company, calling it a disregard for the hardships experienced by the residents.

Through the solo protest, Mayor Jeong Jong-bok stated, "We absolutely cannot accept proceeding with matters that greatly affect the living and residential environment of Jeonggwan residents, such as the installation of a medical waste incineration plant, without coordinating or consulting the residents' opinions," and urged, "The Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office should immediately reject NC Medi's new incineration plant project plan."

NC Medi submitted a project plan last month on the 8th to the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office to relocate from the existing site in Yongsu-ri, Jeonggwan-eup, to Yerim-ri and to install and operate a new incineration plant five times the size of the existing one.

In response, Gijang-gun conveyed to the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office on the 22nd of last month, after collecting opinions from Jeonggwan residents, that it absolutely cannot accept the installation of the new incineration plant.

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