Daejeon City Launches '1 Million Signature Campaign' for New Nuclear Safety Grant Tax

Daejeon City will carry out a ‘1 Million Residents Signature Campaign’ urging the establishment of a Nuclear Safety Grant Tax until the end of next month.

Provided by Daejeon City

According to Daejeon City on the 8th, various nuclear research and development projects have been conducted in Daejeon to achieve national policy goals. In this process, areas surrounding nuclear facilities have had to endure long-term direct and indirect disadvantages such as environmental rights violations, large amounts of radioactive waste generation, and long-term storage.

On the other hand, since the expansion of the Radiation Emergency Planning Zone in 2015, areas around nuclear facilities including Daejeon have only seen an increase in obligations and responsibilities to protect residents, but have not received national funding due to the presence of research reactors. This contrasts with the situation of nuclear power plant (nuclear facility) locations, which receive hundreds of billions of won in budget support annually.

The signature campaign is being promoted to urge the establishment of the Nuclear Safety Grant Tax to improve these unfair conditions.

Daejeon City plans to conduct the signature campaign simultaneously and extensively by establishing a cooperative system with five autonomous districts, public institutions, government-affiliated and private organizations.

First, signature booths will be operated at major events such as festivals, performances, and sports stadiums where crowds gather, encouraging citizens to understand the necessity of the campaign and participate.

Additionally, a large-scale campaign will be held until the end of next month at places with high foot traffic such as Daejeon Station and the complex terminal to create an atmosphere encouraging participation in the signature campaign.

The signature campaign will be conducted simultaneously online and offline targeting all citizens including those of Daejeon. Citizens wishing to participate can visit nearby places such as city hall, district offices, or dong administrative welfare centers regardless of their residence and fill out the signature sheets provided.

Daejeon City aims to have 145,000 people participate in the signature campaign by the end of next month.

Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, emphasized, “The government should not force unilateral sacrifices on residents around nuclear facilities without compensation,” adding, “To alleviate public anxiety and build a city safe from radiation, the Nuclear Safety Grant Tax must be established.”

Meanwhile, if the Nuclear Safety Grant Tax is established, 23 basic local governments nationwide around nuclear facilities, including Yuseong-gu in Daejeon, will receive equal budget support from the government to carry out resident protection projects such as radiation disaster prevention and safety management, as well as welfare projects.