'Mapo Incineration Plant Resident Conflict' Stalemate Continues for 6 Months

"Absolutely No New Incinerators, Suffering for Over 10 Years"
"If Safety Is Guaranteed, City Support Would Actually Help"

More than six months have passed since Seoul selected Sangam-dong in Mapo-gu as a candidate site for a new resource recovery facility (incinerator), but residents' opinions remain sharply divided.

A view of the existing Mapo Resource Recovery Facility in Sangam-dong (right) and the candidate site for a new 1,000-ton resource recovery facility (left).
Photo by Taewon Choi skking@

According to Seoul city on the 8th, last August the city selected the southern parking lot of the existing Mapo Resource Recovery Facility in Sangam-dong, a city-owned site, and the Nanji Art Studio site as a candidate location for a new incinerator with a capacity of 1,000 tons. The city stated that the candidate site received excellent scores in all evaluation categories and is suitable as a new incinerator site because it is surrounded by Haneul Park and Noeul Park, separating it from residential areas. Additionally, the city cited advantages such as no land acquisition costs, simple urban planning changes, and the proximity of the district heating corporation, which allows for efficient use of heat generated from the incinerator.

However, facing opposition from nearby residents, the city is conducting persuasion efforts. Following two residents' briefings last year, a public hearing was held on the 7th at the reception hall of the World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The public hearing is a required procedure under the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act if requested by more than 30 residents. This hearing was requested by 771 residents.

Mr. Pyo (43), who lives in Sangam-dong and is raising a preschool child, said, "Since I am raising a child, I worry a lot about the possibility of more harmful substances being emitted," adding, "Many parents around me seem to be opposed." Mr. Kim (55), who came for a walk at Nanji Stream Park in Sangam-dong, also expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Additional incinerators must never be installed. Residents have already suffered greatly from the existing incinerator for over 10 years."

Ms. Kim Jeong-sook, who has lived in Sangam-dong since 2005 and participated in the public hearing, said, "I am worried because there has been a lot of fine dust recently, and if the incinerator is expanded, it will be worse for the environment, so I oppose the installation of new incinerators," and claimed, "When I asked a Seoul city official in 2006, they clearly said there were no plans to install additional incinerators in Sangam-dong."

Around 6 p.m. on the 7th, at World Cup Park 3rd Complex Intersection in Mapo-gu, Seoul, banners opposing the installation of a new resource recovery facility were hung in a row.
Photo by Tae-won Choi skking@

On the other hand, there were also claims that the interests of all parties should be fully considered rather than only opposing the project.

Prior to this, the city presented the vision for the new incinerator construction as a landmark building, regional development, and eco-friendliness to persuade residents. The city’s position is to make the new incineration facility 100% underground and create a complex cultural town above ground. To persuade residents opposing the incinerator, the city relaxed project requirements to re-promote the DMC (Digital Media City) landmark project in Sangam-dong and decided to install the world's largest Ferris wheel. Additionally, the city plans to introduce world-class pollution control equipment and state-of-the-art automation systems. Support measures for nearby residents will also be prepared. The city plans to invest about 100 billion KRW to create resident convenience facilities such as swimming pools and playgrounds, and to establish an annual fund of about 10 billion KRW to be used for improving residents' welfare and regional development.

Mr. Kim, in his 50s, who runs a restaurant in Sangam-dong, said, "Not all residents are vehemently opposed. Around me, opinions are quite divided," adding, "If environmental safety is guaranteed, many people also consider how much support the incinerator installation will bring to our neighborhood as important."

Mr. Kim (52), who lives in Gongdeok-dong, said, "If the city's promise to prevent environmental pollution is kept, I don't think there will be a big problem," and added, "On the contrary, if we receive various supports, it could be seen as a positive factor."

Mr. Park Mansu, a resident of Susaek-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, who participated in the public hearing, said, "There are incinerators in city centers around the world, such as in Japan and Germany, but many of them do not emit carcinogens or odors and have modern convenience facilities installed nearby, resulting in high resident satisfaction," emphasizing, "We should strive to find ways to follow good examples rather than outright rejecting the project."

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