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Photo = Youngpoong |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Sangjin] According to industry sources on the 4th, Young Poong announced on the 1st that its Seokpo Smelter would face a total operational suspension of "1 month + 30 days" due to administrative penalties for violations of the Water Environment Conservation Act. The exact date for the production halt has not yet been determined and will be announced later.
The Seokpo Smelter received an administrative penalty for violations of the Water Environment Conservation Act during a special inspection in Gyeongsangbuk-do in 2019. Although initially receiving a four-month suspension, the penalty was reduced to 60 days, and Young Poong subsequently filed a lawsuit to cancel the suspension. However, the company lost in both the first and second trials, and the Supreme Court also rejected Young Poong's claims.
This is not the first time the Seokpo Smelter has faced environmental pollution controversies. In 2021, Young Poong was also subject to a ten-day operational suspension for a separate violation of the Water Environment Conservation Act, and they lost in the appeals court at that time as well.
During a discussion held in the National Assembly last September, it was argued that the government had granted Young Poong a "get out of jail free card" regarding environmental pollution, and calls were made for its relocation or closure. According to Professor Kim Young-hoon from Andong University’s Department of Environmental Engineering, who presented on the topic of "Heavy Metal Pollution Sources and Conditions in the Upper Reach of Andong Dam," sediment in the Nakdong River has shown increased pollution levels originating from the Young Poong Smelter, with arsenic and cadmium levels being notably high at Andong Dam.
There have also been a series of worker fatalities. In December of last year, one worker died and three others were injured due to arsenic poisoning while replacing a tank motor at the Seokpo Smelter, and another subcontractor worker died during cooling tower cleaning work in March of this year.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim SangJin(letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)
