"City and Gwangsan District Have Shifted Responsibility for Over Two Years"
"Only Investigations Conducted, No Remediation Measures Taken"
The groundwater contamination incident at Hanam Industrial Complex in Gwangju has been neglected for over two years, prompting strong condemnation from civic groups against the authorities for evading responsibility. The Citizens' Countermeasures Committee criticized Gwangju City and Gwangsan District for shifting blame onto each other and failing to take any remediation measures, calling it "a clear case of dereliction of duty."
On the afternoon of the 16th, in front of Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju, the Citizens' Countermeasures Committee for Groundwater Pollution in Hanam Industrial Complex and Suwan District held a press conference condemning Gwangju City and Gwangsan District for failing to prevent carcinogenic contamination of groundwater. Photo by Yonhap News
The tentatively named Citizens' Countermeasures Committee for Groundwater Pollution in Hanam Industrial Complex and Suwan District held a press conference in front of Gwangsan District Office on the 16th, criticizing, "Gwangju City and Gwangsan District have neglected the contamination issue by passing responsibility back and forth."
The committee first raised concerns about the attitude of Gwangju City. They stated, "Gwangsan District requested cooperation from Gwangju City to allocate a remediation budget, but the city avoided responsibility by claiming that administrative authority lies with the district, calling it a 'matter under their jurisdiction.' This is a typical example of irresponsible and incompetent administration," they pointed out.
The committee also held Gwangsan District accountable. They stated, "The district failed to take even basic actions such as suspending groundwater use or initiating remediation, and simply cited a lack of budget as the reason for inaction." They added, "Despite spending 1 billion KRW on investigation, there was no budget or action to protect citizens. The public will never tolerate this contradiction." The committee urged, "Gwangju City and Gwangsan District must immediately establish remediation measures and begin on-site actions."
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