Gijang County Mayor and Council Members Firmly Oppose 'Transmission Tower Construction Without Resident Consent'

Jeonnam Naju Korea Electric Power Corporation Headquarters, Protest Visit and Meeting

Renewed Urging for Undergrounding of 154kV Gijang-Jangan Transmission Line Project

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the afternoon of the 21st at 2 PM, Jeong Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang County, and members of the county council visited the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) headquarters in Naju to strongly urge the underground installation of the ‘154㎸ Gijang-Jangan Transmission Line Construction Project’ and held a meeting with KEPCO’s Vice President of the Power Grid Division and related officials.

Jeong Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang County, and county council members visiting the Jeollanam-do Naju KEPCO headquarters to protest.

The meeting was attended by Park Woo-sik, chairman of the Gijang County Council, other county council members, Park Jong-cheol, a member of the Busan Metropolitan Council, and representatives of Ilgwang-eup residents (including Lee Yun-hee, chairman of the Village Leaders Association; Lee In-taek, chairman of the Residents’ Autonomy Committee; Seong Gwang-mo, chairman of the Development Committee; and Kim Kwang-ho, chairman of the Ilgwang New Town Village Council).

In January 2019, when KEPCO applied for approval of the power development project implementation plan for the 154㎸ Gijang-Jangan Transmission Line Construction Project, Gijang County, together with resident representatives, visited KEPCO’s Southern Construction Headquarters (May 2019) and KEPCO headquarters (June 2019) to oppose the installation of transmission towers and continuously demanded underground installation. However, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy approved the power development project implementation plan last year in 2022.

According to the implementation plan, the 154㎸ Gijang-Jangan transmission line is a project to erect 27 transmission towers over approximately 9 km passing through Gijang-eup, Ilgwang-eup, and Jeonggwan-eup. The line passes through Ilgwangsan and Dareumsan, famous mountains of Gijang, severely damaging Gijang’s beautiful natural scenery. Moreover, the route of the transmission towers and lines is adjacent to Ilgwang New Town and Jangan residential sites, which together house about 20,000 households, raising concerns about residential environment disruption.

Currently, Gijang County already has 293 transmission towers on 19 lines for transmitting power from the Kori and Saeul nuclear power plants to other regions, significantly damaging the natural scenery and residential environment throughout Gijang.

The mayor and county council members strongly protested in the meeting with KEPCO’s Vice President of the Power Grid Division, stating, “The unilateral construction of transmission towers without residents’ consent is an act that disregards local autonomy and goes against international trends. KEPCO’s unilateral promotion without local residents’ consent before legal procedures is irrational and unjust.”

They urged, “Gijang County is a region densely populated with nuclear power plants, and many transmission towers have been installed to supply power to other regions. Considering the sacrifices and suffering of local residents, it is necessary to review alternatives without mentioning fairness with other regions or economic feasibility. From a long-term regional development and future-oriented perspective, the transmission lines must be undergrounded.”

In response, KEPCO’s Vice President of the Power Grid Division replied, “The 154㎸ Gijang-Jangan transmission line is a project to ensure stable power supply in the Gijang area. We will communicate and negotiate with residents for sufficient time and proceed in consultation with Gijang County.”

The mayor and county council members once again strongly demanded the underground installation of the transmission line and delivered a ‘Proposal for Underground Installation of Transmission Lines’ reflecting the wishes and determination of Gijang residents to KEPCO.