Democratic Party Seocho-gu Eul Regional Committee Sends Petition to Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for Reconsideration of Gwacheon Sewage Treatment Plant

6 Seoul City Councilors and Seocho District Councilors Sign and Send to Korea Land and Housing Corporation President

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Democratic Party of Korea Seocho District Eul Regional Committee (Acting Chairperson Ahn Jong-suk, Seocho District Council Member, photo) sent a petition on March 2 to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the President of Korea Land and Housing Corporation requesting a reconsideration of the location selection for the Gwacheon Sewage Treatment Plant.

Recently, Gwacheon City, together with Korea Land and Housing Corporation, prepared the "Gwacheon Public Housing District Plan" to relocate the existing sewage treatment plant near Seonbawi Station to the area around Yangjaecheon, only 100 meters away from Wusol Elementary School in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu, which has caused strong opposition from Seocho residents.

The Gwacheon Sewage Treatment Plant was already declared by the Board of Audit and Inspection as "the most economical and reasonable alternative is to expand and extend the existing facility," and the Ministry of Environment also submitted an opinion to "prioritize expansion on the existing facility site."

Although the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport notified the project implementer to "seek a location that minimizes conflicts through sufficient prior consultation with related agencies such as the Ministry of Environment, Seocho-gu, and Gwacheon City," Gwacheon City is forcibly pushing forward with the relocation.

Accordingly, all city and district council members belonging to the Democratic Party of Korea Seocho District Eul Regional Committee, representing the opinions of approximately 20,000 residents in 6,456 households in the Umyeon district, stated that if the location selection of the Gwacheon Sewage Treatment Plant is not reconsidered despite this collective complaint and opposition from residents, they will take all possible measures to protect the rights and interests of Seocho residents.

Seocho residents also hope that the location selection of the Gwacheon Sewage Treatment Plant will be resolved amicably so that they can improve their quality of life in a pleasant residential environment together with neighboring Gwacheon citizens, and they demand extraordinary measures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to prevent further wasteful conflicts.

The petition was signed by all city and district council members of the Democratic Party of Korea Seocho District Eul Regional Committee, including Seoul Metropolitan Council members Moon Byung-hoon (3rd electoral district, Seocho 2·4, Yangjae 1·2, Naegok-dong), Chu Seung-woo (4th electoral district, Seocho 1·3, Bangbae 2·3-dong), Kwon Young-hee (proportional representation), and Seocho District Council members Ahn Jong-suk (La electoral district, Yangjae 1·2, Naegok-dong), Kim Jung-woo (Da electoral district, Seocho 2·4-dong), and Heo Eun (Ma electoral district, Seocho 1·3, Bangbae 2·3-dong).