Anger blazes over installation of power towers
Published: 05 Oct. 2009, 04:09
To some, it’s public interest, but to others, it’s an invasion of private property.
The emerging spat between the Korea Electric Power Corporation, or Kepco, and local residents across the country revolves around the construction of power transmission towers.
The corporation said Wednesday that it received 44 complaints about the towers in the first eight months this year.
One resident, identified only as Choi, 41, from Yeoju County, Gyeonggi, said Kepco told him at the end of last year high voltage power towers will be built in the middle of a large area of land that Choi has owned for over 30 years.
Kepco explained that the construction of the tower is inevitable due to the rising demand of electric power within Yeoju.
Choi asked the corporation if the towers could be built somewhere else, but the firm said no.
The tower itself is not the only problem for Choi. High voltage power lines are going to cover almost half of his property, too.
Choi raises some 300 cows on the land and he said he had planned to build lodging houses as well. He has already invested millions of dollars and completed the groundwork for locations where the accommodation was planned to be built.
“Who would prefer to stay and rest under high voltage power lines? I might have to give up all the businesses that I was going to run,” Choi said.
However, Kepco said that it is not easy to find such a large tract of private land. The firm also said it is pushing forward with the construction since it is likely to fulfill public interest and said it will pay Choi 200 million won ($169,200) in compensation.
“The price of Choi’s land was once expensive since the land is right beside an expressway,” said an employee at a nearby real estate agency who asked not to be named. “But few people want to buy the territory after hearing news that the towers are going to be constructed there. In other words, the land has lost value.”
Meanwhile, residents in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, have been battling Kepco for over a year about a similar issue. “One resident went bankrupt when electric power towers were built near houses he used to rent out, even though he got 10 million won compensation,” said Wu Il-shik, a resident in Miryang.
People are also complaining that Kepco notified residents of the construction of towers after the construction plan had already been authorized at a higher level, accusing the corporation of not informing land owners in advance.
As disputes over the electric power tower intensify, Grand National Party lawmaker Cho Hae-jin is planning to propose a revision to a law related to land development.
Cho said after collecting opinions from heads of local governments where the land development projects are going to take place that the revision would strengthen compensation as well as minimize infringement on property rights.
By Jang Joo-young, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
The emerging spat between the Korea Electric Power Corporation, or Kepco, and local residents across the country revolves around the construction of power transmission towers.
The corporation said Wednesday that it received 44 complaints about the towers in the first eight months this year.
One resident, identified only as Choi, 41, from Yeoju County, Gyeonggi, said Kepco told him at the end of last year high voltage power towers will be built in the middle of a large area of land that Choi has owned for over 30 years.
Kepco explained that the construction of the tower is inevitable due to the rising demand of electric power within Yeoju.
Choi asked the corporation if the towers could be built somewhere else, but the firm said no.
The tower itself is not the only problem for Choi. High voltage power lines are going to cover almost half of his property, too.
Choi raises some 300 cows on the land and he said he had planned to build lodging houses as well. He has already invested millions of dollars and completed the groundwork for locations where the accommodation was planned to be built.
“Who would prefer to stay and rest under high voltage power lines? I might have to give up all the businesses that I was going to run,” Choi said.
However, Kepco said that it is not easy to find such a large tract of private land. The firm also said it is pushing forward with the construction since it is likely to fulfill public interest and said it will pay Choi 200 million won ($169,200) in compensation.
“The price of Choi’s land was once expensive since the land is right beside an expressway,” said an employee at a nearby real estate agency who asked not to be named. “But few people want to buy the territory after hearing news that the towers are going to be constructed there. In other words, the land has lost value.”
Meanwhile, residents in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, have been battling Kepco for over a year about a similar issue. “One resident went bankrupt when electric power towers were built near houses he used to rent out, even though he got 10 million won compensation,” said Wu Il-shik, a resident in Miryang.
People are also complaining that Kepco notified residents of the construction of towers after the construction plan had already been authorized at a higher level, accusing the corporation of not informing land owners in advance.
As disputes over the electric power tower intensify, Grand National Party lawmaker Cho Hae-jin is planning to propose a revision to a law related to land development.
Cho said after collecting opinions from heads of local governments where the land development projects are going to take place that the revision would strengthen compensation as well as minimize infringement on property rights.
By Jang Joo-young, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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