Incheon residents are strongly opposing the government's plan to relocate the Korea Environment Corporation.
At a protest rally in Incheon on May 3, People Power Party mayoral candidate Yoo Jeong-bok said, "We must never allow the government's planned relocation of the Korea Environment Corporation," and voiced his strong opposition.
Yoo spoke at the "Incheon Citizens' Rally Opposing the Relocation of the Korea Environment Corporation," organized by the Citizens' Movement to Resolve the Sudokwon Landfill Issue and resident groups from Geomdan and Seo District. "If you truly care about Incheon, you must protect the city's rights and its citizens' interests," he said. "I will stand with residents to defend Incheon."
Lee Haeng-sook, chair of the People Power Party's Seo-gu B district committee, also attended and criticized the plan. "Residents have long suffered from the Sudokwon landfill. Now the government wants to relocate the Korea Environment Corporation elsewhere—does that make sense? Incheon is being disadvantaged in the metropolitan area. What are the ruling party's Incheon lawmakers doing?" she asked.
Jung Moon-ik, head of the Hwangryongsa 10,000 Devotees Citizens' Union, and Park Min-seo, co-executive representative of the Citizens' Movement Headquarters to Defend Incheon, issued a joint declaration accusing the government of considering the relocation of the Korea Environment Corporation—currently based in Seo District to manage pollution around the landfill—before the Sudokwon landfill has been closed. They said Incheon lawmakers have remained silent and urged political actors to secure an official commitment from President Lee Jae-myung to withdraw the relocation plan during the local election period.
They also called on President Lee and the government to promptly present a Sudokwon Landfill closure plan that transfers jurisdiction over the Sudokwon Landfill Management Corporation to Incheon, implements a ban in principle on direct landfill disposal, and establishes a presidential task force.
About 500 people attended the rally, including Venerable Seodeok-jae, abbot of Hwangryongsa (Cheontae Order) in Incheon; Jung Moon-ik, chair of the Hwangryongsa 10,000 Devotees Citizens' Union; Kim Young-sik, representative of Geomdan citizens; the representative of Geomam Royal Prugio Complex 1; Ju Kyung-sook, leader of the Geomdan Citizens' Union; and Kim Yeon-ok, co-representative of the Incheon Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice.
Political figures who joined the event included People Power Party Incheon mayoral candidate Yoo Jeong-bok; Lee Haeng-sook, chair of the Seo-gu B party committee; Park Se-hoon, preliminary candidate for Geomdan district mayor; and Kim Jin-gyu, the Democratic Party's preliminary candidate for Geomdan district mayor.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party mayoral candidate Park Chan-dae and Rep. Mo Kyung-jong (Seo-gu B), both invited by organizers, did not attend.
Incheon — Reporter Lee Chun-man lcm9504@viva100.com
