“왜 수도권 ‘전력 식민지’ 되어야 하나”…커지는 용인반도체 반대 목소리

Residents throughout South Korea, including those from the capital city of Seoul, have been voicing strong opposition to the establishment of a "power colonial" zone in the metropolitan area. On the 19th, in front of the Gyeonggi Province Uijeongbu City Hall, a protest march led by Yoo In-su, the National Review and Super-high-voltage Transmission Tower Opposition National Action (National Action) Executive Committee Chairman, embarked on a 20-day journey from Namhwan in Namwon, Yeongam, ultimately arriving in Uijeongbu.

During the march, residents from 25 regions in South Korea, including Gwangju, Jeonbuk, Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk, asked the same question: "Why must the metropolitan region's power colonial zone be established? Why must people in Uijeongbu sacrifice their electricity and water supplies for the metropolitan area's needs?"

The executive committee chairman argued that although the government claims the establishment of transmission towers will reduce the number of towers and improve water supply for the metropolitan area, residents are questioning whether long-distance transmission lines are truly the best solution. They also emphasized that local residents must be given a fair chance to evaluate the risks.

An archbishop from the Catholic Church in Gyeonggi Province raised concerns about the policy being unaligned with the climate crisis. He urged everyone to reconsider what choices the nation and citizens should make in light of the Uijeongbu semiconductor unit's review.

Trade unions have also criticized the prioritization of labor safety over the progress of the semiconductor industry. Kim Jin-hee, the Vice Secretary-General of the Democratic Labor Union of Gyeonggi Province, pointed out the extreme labor intensity and industrial accident risks on the construction sites of semiconductor factories and the lack of any discussion on labor regulations.

The protesters called for △the complete back-to-blank zoning of the Uijeongbu Semiconductor National Unit △the reversal of the court's approval of the Uijeongbu semiconductor unit △the immediate halt to Samsung Electronics' Uijeongbu semiconductor unit push. They planned to issue a statement after marching from Seoul High Court to Samsung Electronics' Seoul office on the 20th.