Radiation Environmental Impact Assessment: Visiting Villages in Gochang Area for Signature Requests
Principle Is for Local Officials to Handle... Suspicions of Improper Involvement Such as Tacit Approval
Gochang County Explains "No Particular Problem Since Residents' Signatures Were Obtained"
There are suspicions that local government officials, who should maintain the most neutral and fair position during the public opinion collection process for the lifespan extension of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 located in Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, intervened from the perspective of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).
It has come to light that KHNP employees, rather than officials from Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, directly visited residents to conduct the draft radiation environmental impact assessment public review in the Gochang area, raising concerns that local officials either condoned or colluded with this improper involvement.
On the 15th and 16th, employees of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power gathered residents at the village halls of Songun Village in Gong-eum-myeon, Gochang-gun, and eight nearby villages to explain the draft environmental impact assessment report on the lifespan extension of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2. These employees were seen by residents distributing gifts such as kimchi on-site and asking residents to sign the draft review register, which sparked deep outrage among residents opposing the lifespan extension. [Photo by Gochang-gun Farmers' Association]
The draft public review was specified to collect opinions from residents within the radiation emergency planning zone (30 km) from March 18 to April 17. This includes four counties, including Yeonggwang-gun, as well as areas in Gochang-gun and Buan-gun in Jeollabuk-do.
The public notice issued by Gochang-gun limited the review locations to 13 administrative welfare centers excluding Seongnae-myeon and the Gochang-gun office. According to relevant laws, the public review should be conducted fairly and impartially by the local government, not by KHNP, to avoid any bias.
On April 15-16, just before the public review deadline, draft explanation meetings for residents were held at village halls in Songun Village, Gong-eum-myeon, Gochang-gun, and eight nearby villages. However, it was reported that these meetings were conducted by KHNP employees rather than local government officials.
Moreover, some residents claimed that KHNP employees were seen distributing gim (seaweed) and asking people to sign the draft review register on site.
Resident A said, "At a time when the draft radiation environmental impact assessment public review was underway to extend the nuclear power plant's lifespan, KHNP employees, the project operator, went around villages carrying gift packages. Explaining the draft, which is filled with technical terms that are hard to understand, could easily cause misunderstandings to anyone."
Resident B also expressed frustration, saying, "The employees caught on site acted like local office officials and obtained proxy signatures from residents. There were numerous suspicious circumstances, including confirmation forms with proxy signatures by the responsible employees."
Previously, Gochang-gun requested KHNP to supplement the draft, citing reasons such as the non-application of the latest technical standards, the use of accident management plans under review, and the difficulty for residents to understand the content.
Regarding KHNP employees conducting the draft explanation meetings instead of local government officials, Gochang-gun stated that there was no particular problem.
Several officials from Gochang-gun explained, "KHNP contacted us saying they would directly visit villages outside the designated review locations to explain and collect signatures, but there was no clear way to stop them. We trusted the villagers who signed and thought there was no problem, so we decided to fully reflect their opinions in the residents' feedback." They also added, "We always trust the villagers, so it was acceptable to proceed this way."
These officials signed the final review confirmation first, leaving the residents' signature section blank, and handed the documents to KHNP. Furthermore, no identity verification procedures were conducted since the officials did not attend the process. The township and town officials signed the final confirmation on the documents brought by KHNP employees and then sent the fax and original documents to the county via administrative pouch.
They emphasized repeatedly, "There was no bribery or close collusion from KHNP. Since I am in charge of the review, the county's opinion is simply that there is no problem with the public review, so it is fine to reflect it as is in the residents' opinions."
When asked how identity verification, which is essential for signing the review confirmation, was conducted and whether legal regulations or minimum administrative practices were considered, they replied, "We trust that the residents signed, so proceeding as is poses no problem," adding, "There were no improper orders from higher-ups in the county or the respective townships."
A Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant official who collected signatures by visiting villages outside the designated review locations stated, "The process was conducted in consultation with Buan-gun and Gochang-gun, but there are no documents or records of such consultations." In response, a Gochang-gun official said, "We received inquiries, but there was no consultation or supporting documents."
These actions raise concerns about violations of Article 103 of the Nuclear Safety Act regarding 'public opinion collection' and whether the fairness of the draft public review was compromised. It is also known that Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, as the project operator, had the draft review confirmation completed outside the designated locations without official consultation, which may constitute a legal violation.
Meanwhile, at 3 p.m. on the 22nd, the Gochang-gun Farmers' Association and others held a rally in front of the main gate of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in Hongnong-eup, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, condemning the involvement of KHNP employees in the draft public review and returning the gim gifts they had received. The rally announced plans to escalate the struggle to invalidate the draft radiation environmental impact assessment public review if sincere responses from Gochang-gun and the project operator are not forthcoming.
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