Yeonpung Seokpo Smelter Standing Amid Ongoing Environmental Pollution Controversy

Strong Criticism at This Year's National Audit Following Last Year

"Not only did they violate environmental laws, but they also manipulated air pollution emissions. They are a ruthless company. It seems they have no intention to improve." (Im Ija, People Power Party lawmaker)

On the 19th, the Yeongpung Group faced severe criticism over environmental pollution issues during the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee’s audit. The Yeongpung Seokpo Smelter, located in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, has violated environmental laws over 120 times in the past decade by discharging pollutants into the upper reaches of the Nakdong River and has received more than 90 administrative sanctions. Notably, due to pollutant emissions, the Supreme Court confirmed a 10-day suspension of operations in 2021, leading to the first shutdown of the plant in its 51-year history.

In 2019, the Ministry of Environment’s inspection uncovered that the smelter installed and used wastewater discharge facilities that bypassed pollution prevention equipment, and facilities that discharged wastewater before passing through the final discharge outlet. As a result, Gyeongsangbuk-do imposed a 60-day (2-month) suspension of operations. The appeal trial is currently ongoing.

Additionally, on the 18th, the Daegu District Court’s 5th Criminal Appeals Division (Chief Judge Choi Jonghan) sentenced the then Executive Director in charge of environmental and safety operations at the Seokpo Smelter to six months in prison with a two-year probation, upholding the original verdict in the appeal trial. He was charged with violating the Water Environment Conservation Act by negligently causing the discharge of specific harmful water pollutants into the Nakdong River.

The court stated, "Due to negligence in duties such as failing to assign sufficient personnel to the wastewater treatment facilities and not conducting regular inspections, selenium was discharged into the Nakdong River," and added, "Yeongpung, as the beneficiary and ultimate responsible party for the profits gained from the Seokpo Smelter, must be held strictly accountable."

Currently, the Seokpo Smelter operates under an integrated permit from the Ministry of Environment obtained in December 2022 pursuant to the Act on the Integrated Management of Environment Pollution Facilities. Out of 103 permit conditions, 54 have been fulfilled, and among a total of 235 detailed sub-conditions, 123 have been completed.

However, lawmakers at the audit session criticized the need for thorough management and supervision of the Seokpo Smelter’s environmental pollution issues. Im Ija of the People Power Party pointed out, "Even after the integrated permit, the Ministry of Environment detected 9 violations, and Bonghwa County, the local government, found 1 violation," adding, "The violations are extremely serious, including manipulating air pollution emissions and discharging cadmium into the Nakdong River on rainy days."

Officials from the Joint Countermeasures Committee on Environmental Pollution and Resident Health Damage from Yeongpung Smelter held a press conference on the 21st in front of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urging an integrated environmental investigation and the closure of the Yeongpung Seokpo Smelter due to legal violations./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Lawmaker Kim Hyeongdong urged the Daegu Regional Environmental Office, "The Seokpo Smelter should promptly fulfill the permit conditions of the integrated permit, and establish effective measures such as real-time disclosure of air and water quality data and additional installation of automatic air and water quality monitoring devices."

Built in 1970, the Seokpo Smelter is a non-ferrous metal smelter ranked third in the world in annual zinc production as a single plant. Park Youngmin, CEO of Yeongpung Group, was scheduled to appear as a witness at the Environment and Labor Committee audit on this day, but the company requested a schedule change, postponing it to the 27th.