Taebaek City’s Long-Awaited ‘Taebaek URL’ Project Finally Exempted from Preliminary Feasibility Study... Total Investment of 647.5 Billion Won Confirmed

First-Phase Completion Targeted for 2030
Accelerating Regional Transition to Alternative Industries

On November 28, Taebaek City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Lee Sangho) announced that the Taebaek Underground Research Laboratory (URL), the region's largest pending project, has been finally approved as a government project exempt from preliminary feasibility studies.

Taebaek City announced on the 28th that the Taebaek Underground Research Laboratory (URL), the region's largest pending project, has been finally approved as a government project exempt from preliminary feasibility studies. Photo by Taebaek City

On the same day, the city held an emergency briefing in the afternoon to officially announce the progress of the project and its future plans.

The Taebaek URL project will be carried out with a total project cost of 647.5 billion won. It is expected to generate direct economic effects of 173.8 billion won, induce production effects of 252.4 billion won, and create employment for 1,660 people, resulting in significant economic ripple effects.

Originally, the project aimed to establish a basic plan by 2026 and complete construction by 2032. However, with the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study now confirmed, the project period is expected to be shortened, making it possible to achieve the first phase of completion by 2030.

Taebaek City has consistently pursued the attraction of national research infrastructure to revitalize the local economy and promote industrial transformation following the early closure of the Jangseong Mining Site.

After the call for proposals for underground research facilities began in June 2024, the city submitted a letter of intent to attract the project in August of the same year and was ultimately selected as the final candidate site in December.

This exemption from the preliminary feasibility study is attributed to the active support of National Assemblyman Lee Cheolgyu, as well as the strategic efforts of Taebaek City officials, who visited relevant organizations from the early stages of the application process to consistently explain the necessity and future vision for the project.

In particular, with the confirmation of the exemption, the attraction of alternative industries, such as the Clean Methanol Construction Project, worth around 1 trillion won, is becoming more tangible. This is expected to lead to tangible results such as regional economic revitalization, job creation, and population inflow as part of the national new growth strategy.

Mayor Lee Sangho stated, "The confirmation of the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Taebaek URL project is more than just regional development; it marks the starting point for Taebaek to become a leading city in cutting-edge R&D science and technology. As this achievement was made possible by the collective will of our citizens, we will focus all administrative efforts to provide stable jobs for future generations and transform Taebaek into a vibrant city that attracts young people back."

He also said, "The history of Taebaek has always been a history of forging our own path. With this achievement, Taebaek will establish itself as a model city for industrial transformation in Korea."

Meanwhile, Taebaek City plans to accelerate the reflection of the project in the national budget and attract private investment by working closely with the National Assembly, the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, as well as academia and professional organizations.

In addition, the city will swiftly proceed with follow-up procedures in stages and prioritize reflecting citizens' opinions throughout the entire process as it pushes the project forward.

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