Police investigating recent Samcheok nuclear power plant referendum

Posted on : 2014-10-23 16:40 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Residents up in arms over what appears to be suppression of anti-nuclear power plant sentiment
 Gangwon Province related to the referendum the previous day on hosting a nuclear plant
Gangwon Province related to the referendum the previous day on hosting a nuclear plant

Controversy is raging in Samcheok, Gangwon Province after police began investigating the mayor and public officials over an Oct. 9 referendum where 85% of eligible voters opposed the city‘s bid to host a new nuclear power plant.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency announced on Oct. 22 that it had begun investigation procedures after receiving a petition claiming that public servants and village and neighborhood chiefs had been illegally mobilized for the referendum. In particular, the investigation focuses on Samcheok Mayor Kim Yang-ho, who organized the referendum after being elected in June on a platform of opposition to the nuclear power plant, as well as city officials and members of the referendum oversight committee. Around twenty people have reportedly been called in for questioning as witnesses so far.

Anti-nuclear power and civic groups were up in arms over what they called an abuse of public authorities to stop the spread of sentiment against nuclear power.

“Instead of respecting Samcheok residents’ opposition to the nuclear power plant as demonstrated in the referendum results, the government is using the authorities to suppress the anti-nuclear campaign,” said Kim Seung-ho, head of the Pan-Citizen Alliance for Canceling the Samcheok Nuclear Power Plant.

“By randomly calling in public servants and shaking them to see what comes out, the police are really trying to break the public’s anti-nuclear spirit,” Kim added.

Mayor Kim Yang-ho said he repeatedly told public servants they had to remain strictly neutral during the referendum process.

“The officials who took part in the voting and vote counting were doing so independently as registered volunteers, working as citizens outside of working hours,” Kim added. “There was no ’enlistment‘ of officials or any other violation of the law.”

A police officer disputed the claims of “suppression.”

“We are simply investigating in the interests of confirmation after receiving a petition,” the officer said, adding that the police were “currently looking into whether there were any legal issues.”

 

By Park Soo-hyuk, Gangwon correspondent in Samcheok

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