Gurye County Council Condemns Unrealistic Penalties for Agricultural Power Contract Breaches

Resolution Passed for Amendment of Basic Supply Terms

Emergency Adoption at the Opening of the 296th One-Point Extraordinary Session

[Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok] The Gurye County Council in Jeollanam-do (Chairman Yu Simun) announced on January 30 that it held the 296th extraordinary session and passed a resolution condemning the unrealistic penalties for agricultural electricity usage and calling for revisions to the basic supply terms and conditions.

The extraordinary session expressed the council's stance against Korea Electric Power Corporation's (KEPCO) practice of imposing penalties for agricultural electricity usage based on unrealistic standards.

Gurye County Council opened the 296th extraordinary session and passed a resolution condemning the unrealistic penalty charges for agricultural electricity and calling for the revision of the basic supply terms and conditions.
Photo by Gurye County Council

Councilor Lee Chang-ho stated in the resolution, "KEPCO conducted inspections on farms using agricultural electricity, penalizing them with fines ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of won simply because they stored processed products such as kimchi," and added, "There is doubt whether the penalties imposed without clear inspection standards for agricultural electricity usage comply with the constitutional principle of proportionality."

He also argued, "While inspections against unfair electricity usage are necessary to establish a fair electricity trading order, penalties must be imposed in a manner consistent with common sense and reality."

Yu Simun, Chairman of the Gurye County Council, said, "KEPCO should apologize to the farmers who have suffered pain and damage due to unreasonable and unrealistic penalty impositions and prepare measures to prevent recurrence," and urged, "Revise the basic supply terms and conditions to reflect the actual conditions of farms regarding the applicable items for agricultural electricity and establish cooperative measures with farmers."

Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok hss79@asiae.co.kr