Jihyun Choi of Gwangju City Council Urges Kumho Tire to Take Active Measures for Fire Damage Compensation and Prevention

Statement Issued: Calls for Relief and Prevention of Recurrence
Only 35% of Residents Compensated; Compensation Criteria Not Disclosed
Preventing Secondary Damage by Disclosing Information on Plant Demolition

Jihyun Choi, Gwangju City Council Member.

As the damage suffered by residents due to the fire at the Kumho Tire Gwangju plant in May continues to persist, Jihyun Choi, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party, Gwangsan 1), has called on Kumho Tire to "take responsibility and actively pursue compensation and safety measures to restore trust with the community."

On August 8, Councilor Choi issued a statement saying, "The toxic gas released during the fire spread throughout the city center, and the deterioration of health among residents living near the plant is still ongoing." She criticized Kumho Tire, stating, "Despite this, the company is failing to respond proactively, for example by not transparently disclosing the scale of the damage and the standards for compensation."

She went on to say, "Out of a total of about 20,000 damage reports, only around 7,000 cases (35%) have actually entered the compensation process." She insisted, "Kumho Tire must overhaul its compensation procedures with a responsible attitude and establish a resident-participatory compensation review system that includes representatives of the residents and independent experts."

Councilor Choi also emphasized the need to establish a continuous monitoring system that takes into account the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. She stated, "Damage report data, excluding personal information, should be shared with local authorities, and there must be an objective analysis of the damage, including factors such as age, distance, and the relationship to health conditions."

She further stressed the importance of transparency in the upcoming plant dismantling and demolition work. She said, "There are concerns about noise, dust, and secondary chemical exposure that may occur during the demolition process," and urged, "Disclose the construction plans and procedures and take steps to alleviate residents' concerns."

Councilor Choi pointed out, "Kumho Tire's attitude of shirking responsibility for this incident is a betrayal of the trust of the community." She added, "The company must accept the expectations of local residents who sincerely hope for the normalization of the Gwangju plant, and actively work toward recovery and measures to prevent recurrence."