[Metro24] The Solution to Mapo Resource Recovery Facility Is Only 'Dialogue'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The site selection issue for the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility, specifically the waste incineration plant, has emerged as a matter of intense public interest.

After Seoul City selected and announced the Sanggam-dong area as the candidate site for the current landfill, Mapo-gu immediately strongly opposed the decision.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, held a press conference right after the initial announcement and again on the 28th of last month, holding a press conference titled "Urging the Withdrawal of the Metropolitan Resource Recovery Facility Site Selection." He strongly opposed the process, claiming there were serious and clear defects in the composition of the site selection committee. In particular, he asserted the unfairness and impropriety of the Mapo-gu site selection process and strongly urged the withdrawal of the site selection.

Seoul City also issued an explanation. They stated that the composition of the site selection committee was lawful and that the committee established objective and quantitative evaluation criteria, leaving no room for subjective intervention.

As both sides have failed to narrow their differences, significant difficulties are expected in advancing the project.

The residents' briefing session originally scheduled for the 5th has been postponed. Residents met Mayor Oh Se-hoon on his way to work and requested the postponement of the briefing session, which was accepted. Since Mapo residents are highly agitated, holding a residents' briefing or public hearing under the current circumstances could likely lead to physical confrontations, making the postponement a prudent measure.

Accordingly, this issue is expected to undergo a cooling-off period during which dialogue between Seoul City and representatives of Mapo residents should take place. A senior Seoul City official recently told reporters, "We need to continue dialogue with the residents."

Meeting residents a hundred, or even a thousand times, listening to their claims and demands, and reflecting these in policy with Seoul City's flexible attitude may be the key to resolving the situation.

Since Mapo residents are also Seoul citizens, there should be no issue that cannot be resolved through dialogue.

Park Jong-il, Senior Reporter, Social Affairs and Local Government Team