Wando County Council Warns of Severe Road and Vehicle Corrosion from Salt-Leaking Trucks: "Safety Concerns Raised"

Jo Inho and Choi Jungwook Raise Concerns at Administrative Audit
"Systematic Management Needed"

The Wando County Council has strongly raised concerns about road corrosion and vehicle damage caused by salt leakage from seaweed processing vehicles and live fish transport trucks during the winter season.

At the Wando County Government administrative audit held on November 27, Representative Jo Inho (Democratic Party of Korea, Wando B) focused on the damage suffered by residents due to salt leaking from vehicles transporting salted seaweed such as miyeok (sea mustard).

(Left) Representative Choi Jungwook, (Right) Representative Jo Inho

Representative Jo pointed out, "During the winter, saltwater seaweed processed at factories is transported to sorting centers on the mainland, and salt leaks onto the roads, causing severe corrosion damage to nearby vehicles."

He continued, "One resident has to personally pay 5 million won every winter for car repairs. The processing companies do not provide any compensation, nor does the county offer any support, so the residents are facing significant difficulties."

Representative Jo especially emphasized, "On the Geumsan Bridge in Goheung, traffic is controlled when water spills, but Wando County shows no interest at all. If salt penetrates the roads and bridges, it could later lead to major accidents, so this issue must not be neglected under any circumstances."

Representative Choi Jungwook (Democratic Party of Korea, Wando A) also raised similar concerns, stating, "There have been continuous reports about seawater leakage from live fish transport trucks. We should not simply pass this off as a police matter; instead, we need to conduct a comprehensive investigation and find solutions."

Representative Choi also pointed out the neglect of traffic facilities such as road reflectors, particularly on the curved road in front of Jangdo in Jangjwa-ri and near the Gilsung Shipyard in Gunnae-ri.

Serious issues have been revealed regarding the neglect of traffic facilities such as road reflectors in Wando-eup. Provided by Wando County Council

He said, "Reflectors are safety devices directly linked to people's lives. Since they are often damaged by typhoons or vehicle collisions, we need to shift from post-incident repairs to a constant monitoring system."

He further demanded, "We should consider introducing a system that allows for reporting and repairs through smartphone apps or location-based registration systems."

In response, Woo Hongrae, Director of Economic and Transportation Affairs, stated, "Crackdowns on live fish trucks and vehicles discharging saltwater fall under the jurisdiction of the police according to the Road Traffic Act, but we actively cooperate whenever the police request assistance. Wando County will also strive to conduct joint crackdowns."

Regarding the management of reflectors, he explained, "We provide prompt support when requests are made by towns or villages within the scope of the budget. However, at the end of the year, there were cases where repairs could not be made due to budget exhaustion."

He added, "There are cases where comprehensive applications are submitted at the beginning of the year, and support requests are made for accident-prone areas through interim inspections. We will strengthen inspections going forward."

Due to the nature of Wando County, where islands are connected by bridges, seafood transport vehicles frequently travel these routes, making it urgent to establish systematic countermeasures for the issues raised.