Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun's Sudden Visit to Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple... Hearing on Current Issues Including Support Projects for the Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

From the front row, left to right: Seo Hodae, Chairman of Gyeongju City Council; Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Chung Sye-kyun, Prime Minister; Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun made a sudden visit to Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju on the 14th and met with local figures including Jong-woo, the head monk.

According to Gyeongju City, Prime Minister Chung, who visited Bulguksa, a representative temple of Korea and a World Cultural Heritage site, held a discussion on pressing local issues at the Chongjidang Hall within the temple with Monk Jong-woo, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young, and Seo Ho-dae, Chairman of the Gyeongju City Council.

At the meeting, Mayor Joo Nak-young stated, "It has been 15 years since the nuclear waste disposal facility was hosted, but among the 55 support projects originally promised by the government, only 34 have been completed," urging prompt implementation.

He also requested a realistic increase in the 'nuclear waste import fee,' which has not been revised since the enactment of the 'Act on Support for Hosting Areas of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities' on March 31, 2005.

Additionally, he proposed an additional 2.7 billion KRW in national funding for next year to maintain the Munmu Daewang Tomb in Gyeongju, the inclusion of 21 billion KRW in new national funds for environmental improvement of Cheonbuk Hope Farm, early promotion of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's preliminary feasibility study for establishing an innovative nuclear research and development base with 25.5 billion KRW in national funding, and an additional 7.4 billion KRW in national funds to complete the access road construction for the Geomdan General Industrial Complex.

In response, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "We will actively support at the pan-government level so that local projects can proceed quickly, healing the deep wounds of Gyeongju citizens caused by nuclear power plants and waste disposal facilities, and revitalizing the local economy, which has been struggling due to COVID-19."