"Fishermen's Livelihoods Threatened" ... Offshore Wind Power Protest in Goheung

Goheung Offshore Wind Power Opposition Committee gathers over 600 in front of county office on the 23rd
"Absolutely opposed to offshore wind power without fishermen's consent"... Funeral bier appears at protest

The Goheung County Offshore Wind Power Opposition Committee held a protest on the afternoon of the 23rd in front of the Goheung County Office, demanding the "halt of offshore wind power that threatens the right to livelihood," with about 600 fishermen and others attending. Photo by Kim Jaeseung

The Goheung County Offshore Wind Power Opposition Committee (Chairman Lee Hongjae, head of the Goheung County Fisheries Cooperative) asserted on the afternoon of the 23rd in front of the Goheung County Office, with about 600 fishermen and others in attendance, that "offshore wind power projects threatening the right to livelihood must be stopped."

Chairman Lee Hongjae strongly criticized, "We are absolutely opposed to offshore wind power projects without the consent of fishermen," adding, "Goheung County is prioritizing development logic without creating a structure that can coexist with the fisheries industry."

The appearance of a funeral bier at the protest site that day clearly demonstrated the escalating conflict between Goheung County, the project operator, and local residents. This underscores just how much fishermen's livelihoods are threatened and how desperate the situation has become.

Last year, Goheung County was selected for the "Public-Led Offshore Wind Power Suitable Site Discovery Project," organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Energy Agency, and is currently developing a planned site with a capacity of 2GW.

The county has put forward "three main principles": guaranteeing continued fishing activities, providing fair compensation, and preserving fishing income. It has stated its position that "if even one of these is not met, the project will not proceed." However, conflicts with fishermen's organizations over the construction continue.

In response, a Goheung County official explained, "The public-led offshore wind power project is designed to allow direct participation by fishermen, and we have proposed the formation of a coexistence committee," adding, "We will continue to engage in dialogue to resolve the conflict."