[AI Era Electric Power is National Power]④ Why Did Goyang-si Become the Holy Land of 'Data Centers'?

Data Centers Trapped in a Trilemma (2)
Residents Hold Rally in Front of City Hall... Opposition Voices Grow
Goyang City Hall: "The Government Should Establish Detailed Criteria"

Data centers, essential infrastructure in the digital age, have fallen into a so-called 'trilemma' as they face three major challenges: the AI-driven transformation, opposition from residents, and power supply issues. As the AI era arrives, the role of data centers has grown, but power supply within the metropolitan area has become difficult, and residents' opposition has intensified due to their perception of data centers as 'harmful facilities.'

Residents of Munbong-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Gyeonggi-do, held a rally on the 11th in front of Goyang City Hall, Gyeonggi-do, opposing the construction of the Munbong-dong data center. 2025. 02. 11 Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

On the 11th of last month, in front of Goyang City Hall in Gyeonggi Province, Kim Yong-ho, the representative of the residents' association of Wish City Ilsan Xi 2 Complex in Siksadong, raised his voice during a meeting with Asia Economy, asking, "Who guarantees the residents' right to health and property?" According to Kim, Goyang City is being flooded with data centers to the extent that it is called the 'holy land of data centers.'

He attended a residents' rally in front of Goyang City Hall to prevent the construction of data centers in Siksadong and Munbongdong. Kim said, "I heard data centers are the 'future food source.' Since they are essential industries, I don't want to stop them, but building one just 50 meters away from an apartment complex is too much," adding, "If it didn't directly affect our living area, we wouldn't have fought like this."

He expressed concerns that since data centers operate 24/7 using power and require an ultra-high voltage power grid of 154 kilovolts (kV), issues such as electromagnetic waves, radio interference, nighttime noise from cooling fans, and heat island effects could threaten residents' health. He lamented, "If a data center is built, homeowners' property rights will also suffer significant damage."

A panoramic view of the data center site under development in Munbong-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Gyeonggi-do. Large churches, nursing homes, and long-term care hospitals are located nearby. 2025.02.11 Photo by Dongju Yoon

In Munbongdong, Goyang City, a data center is planned near a cluster of seven nursing facilities and a large church. The facility will be three basement floors and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 48,900 square meters (about 14,800 pyeong) and a building area of 10,000 square meters (3,000 pyeong). The developer is Shinyoung S&D (S&D), and the special purpose corporation Shinyoung Munbong PFV was established for this project. Although the permitting process began in March last year and construction was scheduled to start last month, the building permit has been delayed due to residents' opposition. Visiting the Munbongdong data center site revealed it was located between Jeongan Nursing Hospital inside Munbong Nursing Town and Ilsan Full Gospel Yeongsan Church. The site had been cleared widely for construction but no groundbreaking had taken place.

The 3rd Urban Planning Committee of Goyang City, which was to review the Munbongdong data center agenda, convened the day after the protest (February 12). The Urban Planning Committee, composed mainly of private experts, reviews development activities of a certain scale or larger, including construction. Following the 1st and 2nd meetings, consensus was not reached again on this day. Ultimately, a vote was held, and external members specializing in urban planning, including professors and experts, mostly voted in favor of establishing the data center, resulting in conditional approval by 15 to 2.

Kim Eun-hee, director of Jeongan Nursing Hospital, criticized, "Not allowing a representative to attend the meeting to voice residents' opinions is unfair," adding, "The data center, which could be fatal to nursing hospital patients, is being established like a secret 007 operation, avoiding residents' eyes." She further argued, "Since elderly people with vulnerable health are densely concentrated here, the long-term effects of low-frequency noise and electromagnetic wave exposure must be examined."

As Kim said, Goyang City is indeed the 'holy land of data centers.' Its proximity to Seoul and favorable transportation conditions make it an ideal location for data centers, attracting developers' interest for years. There are already two operating data centers, and six more are either approved or planned for construction. Besides Munbongdong and Siksadong, Magna PFV, a GS Construction affiliate, is pushing for a data center in Deokidong. Last year, Magna PFV filed an administrative appeal against Goyang City, which had rejected its construction notification, and the Gyeonggi Province Administrative Appeals Committee ruled in favor of the developer. Data centers in Sarihyundong and Hyangdongdong have also received building permits, but construction has stalled due to residents' opposition. In particular, the Sarihyundong data center is only 35 meters away from an elementary school, raising residents' concerns about adverse effects on living environments and health.

Local governments seem caught between developers and residents regarding data centers, unable to take decisive action. If developers implement measures to reduce noise and electromagnetic waves below standard levels and comply with other regulations, there is no clear legal or institutional basis to block data center construction solely based on complaints. Shin Cheol-sang, spokesperson for Goyang City Hall, stated, "We are doing our best to ensure that residents do not suffer damage or inconvenience during the construction of data centers in the jurisdiction." He added, "Data center issues are not unique to Goyang City; some other local governments are experiencing similar problems," and expressed hope that "the government will soon establish detailed criteria regarding location and construction conditions for data centers to prevent conflicts."