Samdo Incinerator Briefing in Gwangju Canceled Again as Tensions Rise

Residents Oppose Incinerator Project
City Official Assaulted Amid Escalating Tensions

On the afternoon of the 13th, residents blocked the stairs leading to the community briefing session for the installation of a metropolitan resource recovery facility at the Samdo-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

The community briefing session for the installation of Gwangju City's waste incineration plant (metropolitan resource recovery facility) was once again canceled, resulting in further disruption.

The briefing session, which was scheduled to take place on the second floor of the Samdo-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, on the afternoon of August 13, was canceled due to opposition from local residents. This marks the second time the session has failed to take place, following the previous cancellation on July 26.

The Samdo Incinerator Opposition Emergency Committee blocked access to the venue and chanted slogans such as "Absolutely Opposed to the Incinerator." The committee called for a complete halt to the project, raising procedural issues including allegations of fraudulent address registrations.

Furthermore, residents from Hampyeong County joined the protest by forming a pan-county countermeasures committee, intensifying the opposition movement by participating in both a rally in front of Gwangju City Hall and at the site itself. During this process, a city official was assaulted by a resident who was protesting vehemently.

A city official stated, "Our intention is to listen to residents' opinions, but the situation is grave," adding, "We will conduct in-depth internal discussions regarding future procedures."

Meanwhile, the conflict between Gwangju City and residents over the installation of the waste incineration plant is expected to intensify further.

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