6000 Residents from Buan County Waged a Protest Again

Protests against the construction of nuclear waste disposal facility was waged Friday in Buan County and Jeonju City in North Jeolla Province with 6000 people including residents and members of antio-nuclear organizations. Unlike the protest on Tuesday when 100 residents and policemen were hurt, the demonstration was waged in a relatively peaceful manner.

Protest at Buan County

Demonstration of Buan County residents took place from 2 p.m. on Friday to urge for the cancellation of the decision to build nuclear waste disposal facility in the area.

The event, organized by the Buan County residents` committee working for scrapping of the plan, was attended by 6000 people including priest Mun Jeong-hyeon, priest Mun Kyu-hyeon, members from anti-nuclear organization, green groups and organization of farmers, officials with the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions and residents.

Residents from Byeonsan-myeon and Jinseo-myeon, the beach areas close to Uido island, participated in the protest with their children who are now having a vacation from their elementary and middle schools.

During the demonstration, ten people including Jang Seok-dong, representative of Buan County and housewives shaved their heads in protest. 100 placards, banners appeared at the protest that read “ Nuclear waste disposal facility should be built in Cheong Wa Dae, nuclear plants in Yeouido,” “The head of Buan County government Kim Jong-kyu should step down.”

Three-meter high and two-meter wide imitation drum cans for nuclear waste were placed next to the stage at the protest. Emotions were high at the protest with posters warning the possible fallouts from the construction of the facility seen in many places of the demonstration site.

Participants argued that the construction of the nuclear waste disposal facility should be stopped as the nuclear waste, the extremely harmful material that is handed down from one generation to the other, would be collectively dumped into one area. They also argued that heads of Jeolla Province administration and Buan County administration created severe division and conflicts in the region by manipulating the residents` difficulty arising from the underdevelopment and alienation of the regions and creating opinions for the building of the facility.

“I`ll risk my life to prevent the construction of nuclear facility for my children`s future.” Said Lee Seong-rim, a housewife who shaved her head in protest.

Participants of the demonstration held a peaceful protest marching to the Buan County administration office. No serious conflict was reported.

Organizers of the protest went around county areas during the morning to encourage more people`s participation in the protest. Many shops were closed on the day. Taxis were running with the small banner urging the halting of the construction plan.

Protest in Jeonju

Only 100 people participated in the demonstration to call for the scrapping of the nuclear facility construction plan due to massive rainfall before the demonstration. The event was held in front of the office for the North Jeolla Province Friday morning for one hour. Participants argued that the nuclear waste disposal facility would destroy the future competitiveness of the North Jeolla Province which has well-preserved natural environment and cultural heritage. They also called the heads of related provinces` administration to step down for ignoring democratic procedure and consensus building.

The police response

Mobilizing 5000 policemen, the police inspected drivers at the entrance of West coast highway from early in the morning to prevent the demonstrating people from marching into the highway. The police blocked the running of agricultural machines such as tractors into a highway at the major entrance to Buan County. The police did not use too much force to arrest high-ranking officials of the committee not to agitate the demonstrating people. The police have issued arrest warrant for the high-ranking officials.