Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Declares War on New Waste Incineration Plant in Mapo-gu, Seoul

Final Decision Made on April 4 for New Waste Incineration Plant in Mapo-gu; Press Conference Held to Strongly Oppose... Proposals Include Expanding Incineration-Free Stores and Abolishing Volume-Based Waste Bags That Increase Trash

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District

On the morning of the 4th, Mapo-gu held a press conference in front of the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility to firmly oppose the final decision to establish a new waste incineration plant.

On the 31st of last month, the 'Seoul Metropolitan Resource Recovery Facility Location and Decision Notice' confirmed the new incineration plant in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, and Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo-gu, expressed his determination to go to war with Seoul City if necessary.

Since 2014, when the ban on direct landfill of municipal waste was already anticipated, Mapo-gu has strongly condemned Seoul City for neglecting the issue with only formal policies and, last year, as the 2026 deadline for the metropolitan area's direct landfill ban approached, unilaterally deciding to add a waste incineration plant in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu without consulting residents.

Furthermore, Mapo-gu criticized the decision to select Mapo-gu as the final site, which has suffered for decades due to the existing 750-ton incineration plant and the stigma of the 'Garbage Island' caused by the landfill of Nanji-do waste equivalent to 110 million 1-ton trucks over 15 years, as a convenience-driven administration that completely disregards regional equity and residents' sentiments.

In the press release, Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, "The Mapo Resource Recovery Facility, first operated in 2005, was designed as a high-power incinerator suited to the method of mixed disposal of wet waste such as food waste in volume-based waste bags at that time. When processing current waste, which contains a large amount of chemical components like plastics instead of wet waste, the incinerator overheats," and criticized Seoul City for its complacent administration, saying, "Although Seoul City operates the incinerator at about 78% capacity to solve this problem, it has not even attempted to upgrade or repair the facility to improve performance and efficiency according to the current situation."

In fact, private incinerators in Gyeonggi-do and other metropolitan areas generally operate at about 130% of their original design capacity through performance improvements, whereas the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility has been operating at low performance and low efficiency without any facility improvements for 18 years.

Accordingly, the district first requested Seoul City to provide data on the characteristics of incinerated waste and incineration methods at the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility to understand the current operation status of the existing incinerator, but this was ignored on the grounds that Seoul City has no supervisory authority.

Meanwhile, Mapo-gu has been making every effort to increase the recycling rate of waste, judging that reducing incinerated waste should come before incineration.

Over the past year, the district proposed to Seoul City policies including ▲ analysis of municipal waste characteristics (over 64.3% recyclable) ▲ introduction of waste pre-treatment facilities (average 80% reduction effect) ▲ installation and operation of incineration-zero stores ▲ crackdown on separate waste disposal at local workplaces ▲ strengthening publicity for separate disposal targeting general households ▲ strengthening crackdown on mixed disposal of municipal waste ▲ separate disposal of coffee grounds, and repeatedly urged 25 autonomous districts to participate, but Seoul City has remained lukewarm.

According to Seoul City's announcement, if the 1,000-ton incineration plant is completed by the end of 2026, the existing 750-ton incineration plant will be demolished by 2035, meaning that for about nine years, 1,750 tons of waste will be incinerated daily in Mapo-gu. This accounts for 55%, more than half, of the total daily waste generated in Seoul, and if Seoul's waste increases in the future, the demolition of the existing incinerator cannot be guaranteed.

Additionally, the district mentioned that Seoul City is preparing a joint agreement among 25 autonomous districts to reorganize the current regional joint usage system after the completion of the new metropolitan resource recovery facility, clearly stating that under no circumstances should waste from outside the current region flow into Mapo-gu.

Mayor Park Gang-su said, "Seoul City does not listen to Mapo-gu's plea that 'fundamental efforts to increase waste recycling rates and reduce waste generation are necessary,' but approaches the problem with a simplistic method of 'increasing the number of incinerators as waste increases.' This can only be seen as Seoul City choosing the easiest and most convenient solution of 'incineration' visible right before their eyes, instead of implementing a century-long environmental policy for all citizens."

Mapo-gu stated that it will thoroughly monitor the quality of waste brought into the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility to verify the operation of the existing incinerator and strongly propose to Seoul City the introduction of a municipal waste quota system and performance improvements of the existing four metropolitan incinerators to enable processing of 3,200 tons of waste without additional incinerators.

Also, while maintaining Mapo-gu's environmental policy focus on reducing incinerated waste, it plans to expand 'incineration-zero stores' that can increase recycling rates through monetary compensation, and if necessary, boldly abolish or significantly increase the purchase cost of volume-based waste bags to create an environment where as much municipal waste as possible can be properly separated and recycled, proposing a 'paradigm shift in waste policy.'

Finally, Mayor Park Gang-su strongly conveyed to Seoul City that "the health and pursuit of happiness of Mapo-gu residents cannot be replaced by anything," and said, "If Seoul City ignores this again, Mapo-gu will continue a relentless and strong struggle together with 370,000 residents."

Press Release

Irresponsible Waste Management Policy: Immediate Withdrawal of the 'New Incineration Plant' Plan

○ Hello, I am Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo-gu.

[Seoul City’s Final Decision to Establish a New Incineration Plant in Mapo-gu]

○ Today, I stand here with a truly sorrowful heart.

○ On August 31 of last year,

exactly one year after selecting Mapo-gu as a candidate site for a new incineration plant, Seoul City officially announced it as the final location.

○ Seoul City promised that after announcing the candidate site,

they would sufficiently consult with Mapo-gu

and gather residents' opinions before making the final decision,

but ultimately, that promise was not kept.

[Mapo-gu’s Pre-treatment and Recycling Policy Alternatives Ultimately Ignored]

○ To present practical waste management alternatives,

Mapo-gu personally sifted through garbage bags amid foul odors and filth,

confirming that over 64.3% of the waste is recyclable,

and demonstrated that waste pre-treatment can reduce waste by up to 80%.

○ Nevertheless, Seoul City still only says it is under review.

○ The horrific plan remains to install a new 1,000-ton incineration plant by 2026,

and operate the existing 750-ton incinerator simultaneously until 2035,

incinerating 55% of Seoul’s total waste

daily in Mapo-gu.

○ In the final decision briefing,

they only mentioned that special resident support measures should be considered while operating both incinerators in parallel,

but after more than a year,

their indifferent attitude treating this as someone else’s problem

has left our Mapo-gu residents deeply disappointed.

○ The long-standing sorrow of being a haven for unwanted facilities,

the health and safety of residents,

and a clean environment for future generations?

all these heartfelt pleas from Mapo-gu residents have been completely ignored.

○ I want to ask Seoul City:

Can expanding incinerators be a fundamental waste management solution?

Have they fallen into administrative convenience,

choosing the easiest method?

I believe we all need to seriously reconsider this.

[Advanced Technology Incinerators Are Fundamentally Simple]

○ Although they claim to build incinerators with advanced technology,

the principle of incinerators is very simple.

When you light a fire in a stove, smoke is produced,

and since smoke exiting through a chimney can cause air pollution,

an air purifier is installed on the chimney to reduce it,

which is the same principle.

○ And the heat is used to boil water in a pot?what’s different?

○ Therefore, what and how you burn in an incinerator is most important.

[Mapo Resource Recovery Facility Designed for Waste Characteristics That No Longer Apply]

○ So, how about the equipment at the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility?

When it first started operating in 2005,

it was designed as a high-power incinerator suited to the method of mixed disposal of wet waste such as food waste in volume-based waste bags.

○ However, despite the significant increase in plastic use and separate food waste disposal,

which greatly increased the calorific value of waste,

the facility has been operating for 18 years without tailored improvements.

○ What’s more shocking is that

water is sprayed on the waste to lower the calorific value of the high-power incinerator.

○ None of you have probably never grilled samgyeopsal (pork belly).

Charcoal with strong heat produces no smoke,

but if a drop of water or oil falls on the charcoal,

black smoke spreads.

○ Similarly, spraying water on waste during incineration

causes incomplete combustion,

emitting large amounts of harmful gases,

which I believe you all understand well without me explaining here.

○ Therefore, continuing to operate the existing incinerator, which does not match current waste characteristics,

without immediate demolition or renovation until 2035,

is truly incomprehensible.

[Unable to Properly Utilize Existing Facilities, Yet Planning New Ones]

○ Moreover, the current incineration performance of the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility is only 78%,

so building an additional incinerator while not properly utilizing existing facilities

is simply unreasonable.

○ In contrast, private incinerators in Gyeonggi-do and other metropolitan areas

operate at up to 130% of their original design capacity through performance improvements.

○ From this, we must immediately realize

the absolute necessity of deep reflection and supplementation regarding incinerator facilities.

○ While waste is rapidly increasing,

it is hard to understand how public waste treatment facilities, which require huge construction costs, cause environmental pollution and social conflicts,

can be operated less efficiently than private ones.

○ Solving problems with existing incinerators should take priority over unconditional expansion.

○ To this end, Mapo-gu requested Seoul City for data necessary for a status analysis, including daily incineration volume, operating hours, incineration methods, waste characteristics, operating personnel, and their duties,

but was unable to receive specific data citing lack of supervisory authority.

○ Therefore, we will collect consent forms from residents and request an audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the incinerator’s issues.

○ Additionally, together with our 370,000 residents, Mapo-gu will thoroughly monitor the characteristics of waste brought into the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility,

and if the waste quality is poor, will immediately prohibit its acceptance.

[Waste Policy That Predicts and Prepares for the Future Is Needed]

○ Administration must predict and prepare for the future above all else.

○ Especially, waste policies directly related to our lives should look at least 50 years ahead.

○ The shortsighted plan to build a new incinerator in Mapo-gu

could lead to wasteful spending and secondary environmental pollution,

which must be seriously reconsidered.

○ Seoul City also anticipated the ban on direct landfill of waste in 2014,

and established a plan to achieve zero direct landfill of municipal waste.

○ However, this was only a superficial policy,

and in reality, Seoul City neglected the issue by relying on incinerators,

and when the 2026 ban was confirmed, suddenly announced the construction of an additional incinerator in Mapo-gu.

[Additional Treatment Beyond the Existing Five Districts’ Waste]

○ The problem does not end here.

Seoul City is preparing a joint agreement with 25 autonomous districts

to partially or fully reorganize the current regional joint usage system after the new metropolitan resource recovery facility is completed.

○ It is unforgivable and incomprehensible that Mapo-gu would have to handle waste from other districts without incinerators starting in 2026,

on top of the waste from the existing five districts.

○ Mapo-gu is not Seoul’s garbage dump.

We cannot repeat the disgraceful years of Nanji-do,

the world’s highest 98-meter garbage mountain, where waste equivalent to 110 million 1-ton trucks was landfilled over more than 15 years.

○ Do you think it is right for the Ministry of Environment and Seoul City

to force tears and pain again on Mapo-gu residents,

who have endured decades of suffering for the public good of Seoul, risking their health and lives?

[Incineration Plant Is an Issue for Not Only Mapo-gu Residents but All Seoul Citizens and the Nation]

○ Even if the new incinerator is built, since it is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026,

the 1,000 tons of waste currently directly landfilled in Seoul will have nowhere to go for about a year starting January 2026.

○ Seoul City has announced it will request a one-year grace period from the Ministry of Environment, but now is the time to find proper waste treatment methods, not another temporary location.

○ This new incinerator issue is not only a problem for Mapo-gu residents.

It concerns all Seoul citizens and the entire nation.

○ Therefore, Seoul City and even the Ministry of Environment must present practical waste reduction policies that meet advanced country standards,

which is an urgent task that cannot be delayed any longer.

[Proposal to Abolish or Significantly Increase the Price of Volume-Based Waste Bags That Increase Waste]

○ Here, I publicly propose to Seoul City and the Ministry of Environment:

Abolish volume-based waste bags,

and install nationwide the incineration-zero stores that Mapo-gu is piloting to increase recycling rates,

and pre-treatment facilities that can dramatically reduce waste.

○ If this is difficult, I recommend significantly increasing the price of volume-based waste bags.

○ The volume-based waste fee system applies the principle of waste producer responsibility,

but cheap volume-based bags have become trash bins where anything can be thrown away.

○ As a result, not only recyclables but also waste that should not be incinerated are carelessly thrown into volume-based bags,

leading to endless increases in waste and harmful substances emitted during incineration.

○ Generally, the number of traffic violations and fines are inversely proportional.

Without fines, South Korea would probably become a traffic hell.

○ Even if waste disposal becomes more complicated or costly,

we must raise citizens’ awareness by abolishing the waste bag system or significantly increasing prices so that recyclable waste can be properly treated.

○ It is time to move beyond the simplistic waste policy of increasing incinerators as waste increases,

and introduce bold policies to transform into a city without incineration.

○ Through this, I hope Seoul will rise as a global eco-friendly city beyond South Korea,

and Mapo-gu will gladly take the lead on this path.

[If Mapo-gu’s Plea Is Ignored, Prepared for Strong Struggle with 370,000 Residents]

○ Some reporters may remember,

one year ago, I held a press conference expressing the frustration of why our beloved residents had to protest in front of the incinerator during the Chuseok holiday.

○ Chuseok is approaching again.

This Chuseok, so that families, relatives, and neighbors can enjoy abundance and laughter,

I urge Seoul City to immediately withdraw the new incinerator construction and renovate the existing incinerator before it is too late.

○ If Seoul City again ignores the earnest cries of our Mapo-gu residents,

I, Park Gang-su, will unite the will of 370,000 Mapo-gu residents

and declare a war on incinerators against the Ministry of Environment and Seoul City through relentless and strong struggle.

○ Thank you.

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