Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's headquarters. [Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power]
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's headquarters. [Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power]

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said Monday it has reached a relocation agreement with Pocheon city and 28 residents from areas slated for submersion during construction of the Pocheon pumped-storage power plant.

Korea Hydro, Pocheon city and residents formed a three-party consultative body that held seven rounds of talks on relocation measures beginning in April last year.

Korea Hydro said the agreement is expected to give fresh momentum to the power plant construction project.

The Pocheon pumped-storage power plant project selected the site in 2019, published a designated zone notice in 2023 and received approval for the construction implementation plan last year. The project is now on the verge of breaking ground on the main works, with land compensation currently under way.

Park Jeom-dong, chair of the residents' relocation committee, said it was painful to leave a village where people had lived for so long, but that he agreed to cooperate because the project serves an important national purpose. He also asked that adequate support be extended not only to displaced residents but also to neighboring villages.

Kim Pan-ho, head of the Pocheon pumped-storage construction office, expressed deep gratitude to the residents for accepting the relocation plan despite the significant inconvenience, and to Pocheon city for its cooperation. "We will move quickly to provide compensation so that residents face no difficulties in securing new housing," he said.


oskymoon@heraldcorp.com