The 345KV Sinjeong-eup ~ Singye-ryong transmission line construction project, including the Geumsan area in South Chungcheong Province, is causing controversy due to procedural issues . The National Human Rights Commission of Korea accepted persistent objections from local residents, acknowledged the composition of the site selection committee and procedural defects , and recommended that the project be reexamined .
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[Korean Today] Chungnam Geumsan, Jeonbuk joint press conference (2024.12.26.) © Reporter Seungtak Lim |
The 345KV Sinjeong – eup ~ Singye-ryong transmission line construction project began in earnest in March 2023 according to the 9th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan . The first metropolitan site selection committee was formed on August 31 , 2023 , and the optimal transmission zone was determined about 10 months later , but local residents only learned of the existence of the project then . This is a representative case showing that the project was pushed forward without reflecting the opinions of residents .
Residents have uncovered problems by obtaining and analyzing relevant laws and operating regulations through information disclosure . Procedural defects such as the controversy over the qualifications of the resident representatives and the lack of collection of residents’ opinions have emerged as key issues .
Most of the initial complaints were transferred to Korea Electric Power Corporation ( KEPCO ) , which simply replied, “ No problem . ” Even the National Human Rights Commission of Korea concluded in July 2024 that there were no procedural issues , but Geumsan residents did not give up and continued to raise objections . After visiting the National Human Rights Commission in person, presenting evidence, and explaining the problems , on December 23 , 2024, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea acknowledged the residents’ claims and recommended a reexamination of the optimal transition zone .
The committee pointed out that the fact that civil servants and local council members were appointed as residents’ representatives and that the principle of resident-led leadership was undermined was problematic . Accordingly, the decision of the first site selection committee is likely to be invalidated .
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[Korean Today] Park Beom-seok, the head of the countermeasure committee, is demanding a halt to the construction of the Shinjeong-eup to Shingyeryong transmission line project, citing procedural defects. © Reporter Lim Seung-tak |
The committee argued that the optimal transmission zone decision should be nullified and the process should start over from the beginning . It also proposed using existing transmission lines to minimize damage and providing additional compensation to nearby residents .
In the process, residents filed an application for an injunction to suspend execution and a main lawsuit , and about 1,000 residents of the Jeonbuk region participated in the lawsuit . KEPCO’s procedural issues are also being reinvestigated by the Board of Audit and Inspection and have been transferred to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy .
This incident has served as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of a transparent decision-making process centered on residents . The persistent efforts of Geumsan ( Jinsan-myeon ) residents will be recorded as an exemplary case for correcting procedural justice . In the future, KEPCO and government agencies must establish fair and transparent procedures to restore residents’ trust .
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