[Exclusive] Residents Near Boryeong Power Plant Found With Arsenic Levels Exceeding Safety Standards

Some Residents Found With Carcinogen Levels More Than 10 Times the Safety Standard in Health Checkups

Some residents of Jugyo and Ocheon in the Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters of Korea Midland Power Company have been living in fear as health checkup results revealed that arsenic, a potent carcinogen known to cause lung cancer, was detected at levels more than 10 times the standard limit. Urgent measures are required to address this issue.

Residents living near Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters in Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, are living in fear after excessive levels of arsenic—a powerful carcinogen that causes lung cancer—were detected in their bodies.

However, Korea Midland Power's Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters, the major corporation operating the plant, is maintaining its position that "it is not possible to clearly identify a link with the power plant," drawing strong criticism for neglecting the minimum environmental and social responsibilities expected of corporations.

According to a comprehensive report by The Asia Business Daily on June 22, health checkups conducted on residents of Ocheon-myeon and Jugyo-myeon, areas near the Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters, produced shocking results. Some residents were found to have arsenic concentrations in their bodies that far exceeded the standard threshold.

The standard for arsenic is 100 μg/L. However, test results from hospitals and other medical institutions revealed alarming findings: arsenic levels ranged from as low as 1.3 times the standard (134.32 μg/L) to as high as 10.6 times the standard, with one resident recording a level of 1062.96 μg/L.

Mr. Choi from Jugyo-myeon, Boryeong-si, Chungnam, was found to have arsenic levels 1062.96 times higher than the standard after a medical examination at Hospital A in Seoul in 2025.

Arsenic is a heavy metal (element) that is widely recognized as a chemical toxin and carcinogen. Instead of accumulating in the lungs as a particulate and causing fibrosis, it primarily causes cytotoxicity and damages genetic material.

Experts note that while arsenic does not directly cause pneumoconiosis, it is frequently present in environments associated with pneumoconiosis, such as mines and smelters. They warn that exposure to arsenic in individuals already suffering from pneumoconiosis leads to an extremely high risk of developing lung cancer.

The medical team at Dankook University Hospital, which conducted the health checkups, also stated, "There is suspicion of excessive arsenic exposure," and recommended, "Please make sure to wear protective equipment, such as high-grade masks, during work." Now, more than 40 years after the Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters was established in the area, residents are forced to wear gas masks in what should be their safe and rightful living environment.

Residents are now pleading, "We just want to live healthy lives. We don't even care about money."

They are suffering from constant health fears and trauma, as they witness neighbors lose their lives to cancer and various unexplained illnesses.

Kang Sinbok, head of the Jugyo-myeon committee, commented, "Every year, it’s not just one or two residents who die from cancer or other diseases. The power plant refuses to take responsibility and tells residents to find the cause themselves," expressing frustration that "this giant corporation is ignoring the health fears of powerless, unconnected residents."

Lee Kyunggu, a member of the Ocheon-myeon countermeasures committee, said, "Every time we have health checkups, the number of residents showing signs of pneumoconiosis, arsenic exposure, and declining kidney function increases, but there is nowhere to get treatment." He added, "When we raise these concerns, Korea Midland Power insists there is no proven link and demands that residents prove the cause themselves."

An official from the Boryeong Power Plant Headquarters stated, "I understand that there was a study conducted by Chungcheongnam-do Province on residents living near the power plant, and I have been told there is no connection with the plant," adding, "There is nothing the power plant can do at this point."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.