'Eunpyeong resource center issues must be resolved through cooperation among three northwestern districts'

'Oppose below-ground vehicle depot at World Cup Park for Gangbuk cross-city line'

Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun holds a press conference near Seoul City Hall on Tuesday to address local issues including transportation and waste management facilities. [Mapo-gu]
Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun holds a press conference near Seoul City Hall on Tuesday to address local issues including transportation and waste management facilities. [Mapo-gu]

Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun on Tuesday declared his firm opposition to three major projects being pursued by the Seoul Metropolitan Government: the renewed push to build a new incinerator, any expansion of incineration capacity at existing facilities, and plans to install a commemorative sculpture for the Sampoong Department Store collapse at Noeul Park. He also called on the city to scrap its plan to build a vehicle depot beneath World Cup Park.

Yoo made the remarks at a press conference near Seoul City Hall, laying out his positions on a range of local issues related to transportation and the environment.

Yoo said that at a Seoul Metropolitan Council Environment and Water Resources Committee briefing on Sept. 4, a city official indicated it would be difficult to completely rule out resuming plans for a new incinerator in Sangam-dong. "Within just a few months, statements have emerged that contradict earlier announcements," he said. "The Seoul Metropolitan Government must clearly state its position on building a new incinerator and modernizing existing facilities." He added that Mapo-gu supports facility improvements aimed at enhancing the safety and environmental performance of the existing waste-to-energy facility, but said he would recommend to the city that any such improvements proceed on the premise that the facility serves all three northwestern districts — Mapo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu and Seodaemun-gu. "Using modernization as a pretext to increase incineration capacity, or to bring in waste from districts outside the three northwestern ones, is unacceptable under any circumstances," he said.

Yoo doubled down on his position that issues surrounding the Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center must be discussed through cooperation and consultation among the three northwestern districts. However, he said the district plans to take whatever steps the court deems necessary to address the problem arising from the center — jointly funded by all three districts — having been registered solely under Eunpyeong-gu's ownership.

"The Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center is a project that the three districts of Mapo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu and Seodaemun-gu have pursued together since 2013, based on the Seoul Metropolitan Government's zone-based waste management plan," Yoo said. "The original intent was to divide responsibilities — Eunpyeong-gu handling recyclables, Seodaemun-gu food waste, and Mapo-gu general household waste — but the facility is not currently operating as intended." He said that while litigation over ownership is ongoing after the jointly funded facility was registered solely under Eunpyeong-gu, the district will act in accordance with the court's ruling. "Mapo-gu will make every administrative effort to ensure a smooth waste management cooperation framework among the three northwestern districts, based on the principle of fair responsibility-sharing and with full reflection of residents' wishes," he said.

Yoo also made clear his opposition to plans to build a vehicle depot for the Gangbuk cross-city rail line beneath World Cup Park. "World Cup Park is a precious environmental asset restored through years of effort from what was once the Nanjido landfill, and it is one of Seoul's most beloved recreational spaces," he said. "A space painstakingly brought back to life must not be damaged again in the name of expanding the rail network." He urged the Seoul Metropolitan Government to remove World Cup Park from consideration as a depot site and to actively develop realistic alternatives, including sites beneath the Han River. "If residents who have endured decades of transportation inconvenience are once again asked to sacrifice their safety and lifestyle, they will no longer stand by — they will mount a strong collective response," he said.

Yoo also called for a full review of the city's plan to install a commemorative sculpture for the Sampoong Department Store disaster at Noeul Park.

"There can be no disagreement with the intent to honor the victims and reflect on the lessons of the disaster," he said. "However, a memorial space can only carry its full meaning when it is established at the site where the tragedy occurred. Careful consideration is needed as to whether Noeul Park — which has no direct connection to the disaster — is truly an appropriate location." He added that Noeul Park is a space closely tied to the daily lives of Sangam-dong residents, yet those residents were given neither sufficient explanation nor the opportunity for meaningful discussion during the planning process. "I ask the Seoul Metropolitan Government to revisit the plan to install the commemorative sculpture at Noeul Park from scratch," he said. "Mapo-gu will also clearly convey residents' views and work actively to ensure a reasonable alternative is found."


cook@heraldcorp.com