Anseong Mayor Kim Bo-ra: "Actively Addressing One-Sided Residents' Damages During Semiconductor Industry Growth"

Mayor Kim Bo-ra of Anseong said on the 23rd, "In the growth process of the semiconductor industry, which is a national strategic industry, local residents should not unilaterally bear environmental and agricultural damages and safety issues," adding "I will actively pursue necessary measures to ensure that Anseong citizens are not marginalized or suffer unfair damages."

Anseong City held a press conference with Mayor Kim on that day to disclose the city's response measures regarding the development of the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex and to clearly demonstrate its commitment to continue active responses for citizens' interests.

The city intensively raised issues regarding the reality that benefits from the industrial complex development are concentrated in Yongin, while various burdens such as environmental pollution and agricultural damages could be shifted to Anseong.

In particular, the city identified as major issues affecting residents the inflow of wastewater from the industrial complex, transmission line construction that may damage the landscape and infringe residents' property rights, and the establishment of an LNG power plant that could threaten air quality and residents' health.

The city explained the limitations of each sector and changed circumstances following the SK win-win agreement signed in 2021. The agreement at that time reportedly included 15 items such as improvement of wastewater quality and temperature, support for industrial complex development, regional win-win cooperation projects, agricultural promotion policies, river maintenance, and expansion of road networks.

Regarding power generation facilities, the city has pursued a change in the natural gas pipeline route for the LNG power plant in Yongin SK General Industrial Complex. The city raised concerns about traffic congestion, road subsidence, and gas explosion accidents and other safety issues regarding the route passing through Anseong, urged supplementation during the road management deliberation process, and announced that it had rejected a deliberation application in February of last year.

The wastewater issue has been prioritized with securing water system safety as a prerequisite condition, and the city is currently blocking test discharge. It is demanding more concrete measures including expansion of water quality test items, establishment of joint inspection committee operating regulations, preliminary surveys of agricultural environments, and compensation for damages included in the SK win-win agreement.

The city plans to start additional negotiations centered on the win-win cooperation body reflecting changed circumstances, and to develop practical solutions through a cooperation system with participation from the central government, local governments, public institutions, industry, and residents.

To this end, the city has proposed the composition of the win-win cooperation body and discussion agenda to the Ministry of Environment and Cooperation with Energy, and has deployed four dedicated personnel to the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex response team.