[The Editors' Verdict] Oh Se-hoon's Test: The 'Sangam Incineration Plant'

Strong Backlash and Withdrawal Demands from Local Residents After New Site Announcement
Necessary but Not in My Backyard: Criticism Alone Is Not Enough
Similar Conflicts Nationwide... Hopes for Oh Se-hoon's Conflict Resolution Model

Union Park and Respia are beloved places for residents, featuring high observation decks, parks, and sports facilities in Hanam and Yongin. Beneath them lies a completely different world. Union Park houses underground sewage treatment facilities, incineration plants, food waste recycling facilities, recyclable sorting facilities, and household waste compression facilities. Yongin City renamed its five sewage treatment plants as ‘Respia (Respiration + Utopia).’ Suji Respia transformed its existing sewage treatment plant into an underground facility, creating sports facilities, parks, and a tower above ground, renaming it ‘Arpia.’ Initially, the sewage treatment plant was planned to be exposed above ground, but due to strong opposition from residents, a compromise was reached to build the plant underground and construct a park on top. The observation deck, standing 108 meters tall, was installed to release gas remaining after sewage treatment. This chimney has been repurposed as an observation deck and is one of the landmarks along the Gyeongbu Expressway.

Currently, Seoul has four metropolitan resource recovery facilities located in Gangnam, Nowon, Mapo, and Yangcheon districts. Due to insufficient incineration capacity, nearly 1,000 tons of waste per day were buried in the Sudokwon Landfill Site. Incheon City has declared that it will no longer accept waste from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province after 2025. With the amendment of the Waste Management Act Enforcement Rules, from January 1, 2026, it will be prohibited to directly landfill household waste at the Sudokwon Landfill Site without incineration. Seoul faces a choice between finding a new site for an incineration plant or expanding an existing one. In 2019, two rounds of site solicitations were held, but no district applied. Ultimately, Sangam was selected.

According to the blueprint by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the Sangam Incineration Plant will become a landmark not only for Yongin and Hanam but also for Mapo, Seoul, and Korea. The existing incineration plant will essentially be underground, with emission standards strengthened to ten times stricter than the legal limits. Above it, a complex space combining culture, tourism, sports, and arts will be created. Residents will receive a separate welfare fund of 10 billion won, and various incentives (such as utility bill reductions) are expected to be implemented. In Copenhagen, Denmark, the ‘Amager Bakke’ incineration facility features a ski slope on its roof and a climbing wall on its side, becoming a tourist attraction. The Maishima Incineration Plant in Osaka, Japan, designed by the famous Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, resembles an amusement park. It is human nature to welcome a subway station near one’s home but oppose construction beneath it, or to appreciate a large supermarket nearby but dislike the traffic congestion it causes.

Waste incineration plants are typical examples of disliked and avoided facilities. They are necessary but naturally opposed when located near one’s home. This is why governments and cities worldwide invest large budgets to transform incineration plants into tourist resources. Listening to residents’ opinions, gaining their understanding, and persuading them are also important. However, it is impossible to have prior discussions with the government, lawmakers, or Mapo District before announcements. Instead, it is the duty of Seoul City and Mayor Oh to provide thorough, detailed, and convincing answers to residents’ question, “Why Sangam?” Conflicts over incineration plants are occurring nationwide beyond Seoul. Mayor Oh should consider creating a new model for social conflict resolution and management. Lee Kyung-ho, Head of Social Affairs gungho@

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