Seocho District Council Adopts Resolution Urging Withdrawal of Gwacheon Juam Data Center Construction Plan

Adopted Unanimously by All Council Members
Urging Withdrawal by LH and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Seocho District Council in Seoul, chaired by Yoo Ji-woong, has adopted a resolution urging the withdrawal of the data center construction plan in Gwacheon Juam District.

Members of the Seocho District Council are taking a commemorative photo after adopting a resolution urging the withdrawal of the plan to build a data center in Gwacheon Juam District on the 31st of last month. Provided by Seocho District Council.

The council announced on September 1 that the “Resolution Urging Withdrawal of the Gwacheon Juam District Data Center Construction Plan” passed unanimously at the 1st plenary session of the 1st regular session of the 352nd meeting, which was held on the 31st of last month. The resolution was jointly sponsored by Assembly members Kim Haebareun, Ahn Jongsook, and Cho Huiok, who represent the Ma constituency (Yangjae 1-dong, Yangjae 2-dong, and Naegok-dong), the district adjacent to the project site.

According to the resolution, while the planned construction site (Gwacheon Juam District blocks 1-1 to 1-9) is administratively part of Gwacheon City, it is located just about 80 meters from the Seocho-gu Umyeon-dong residential complex and schools. The council argued that, although this is a project by another local government, the actual impact would be borne by Seocho residents.

The council expressed concerns that due to the 24-hour operation of the data center, noise and vibrations from large cooling towers and air conditioning systems, as well as exposure to electromagnetic fields from the installation of high-voltage power lines, could threaten residents' health and sleep. They also raised issues regarding potential fire risks from the adoption of large-scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and the possible disruption to the Yangjaecheon ecosystem.

The council criticized the project for disregarding resident acceptance, stating that development policies should be based on the consent and trust of nearby residents, and made three demands. First, it called on Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to immediately withdraw the data center construction plan, and on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to amend the district unit plan to exclude data centers from business facility land use.

It also urged Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to suspend all procedures related to power supply and grid connection, considering concerns over electromagnetic exposure from high-voltage power supply. Additionally, the council requested cooperation from Gwacheon City and Gwacheon City Council for the withdrawal of the project, and called on Seocho District Office to take steps to block the construction throughout all administrative procedures and coordination with related organizations.

Kim Haebareun, who sponsored the resolution, stated, “We can no longer allow a situation that forces neighboring residents to bear one-sided harm by ignoring their public opinion simply because the administrative district is different. To protect the safe and peaceful everyday lives of our residents, the council will take action until relevant ministries come up with adequate measures.”

Seocho District Council plans to deliver the adopted resolution to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gwacheon City, and Gwacheon City Council.

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