After Turmoil Over '210,000 Complaints,' Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center to Open Nov. 16

Joint Recycling and Waste-Treatment Facility for Eunpyeong, Seodaemun and Mapo
Treatment Facilities Underground, with a Soccer Field and Resource Circulation Experience Center Above Ground

A major resource-circulation facility in northwestern Seoul, which drew more than 210,000 complaints in a single year amid opposition from residents, is set to open. Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung), announced on the 11th that it will hold an opening ceremony for the Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center on November 16 and begin operating its Resource Circulation Experience Center and exhibition hall.

A view of the Resource Recycling Experience Center under construction last August. Provided by Eunpyeong-gu.

The center is a joint resource-recycling and waste-treatment facility 추진ed by the three northwestern districts of Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, and Mapo. A master plan was drawn up in 2017, and the three districts signed an agreement on joint waste treatment in 2019. Construction began in 2021, and the facility was completed in May 2025 before beginning trial operations.

The construction process was not smooth. In 2019, the year with the most complaints, the number exceeded 210,000, and the facility ranked first nationwide in complaints for three years. The district said it had addressed residents' concerns through ongoing discussions with them on site.

The center was built at 1200 Tongil-ro (37 Jingwan-dong), Eunpyeong-gu, with four basement levels and above-ground space, covering a total floor area of 18,746 square meters. It has a recycling-sorting facility that processes 150 tons per day, a household-waste compression and transfer facility with a capacity of 130 tons per day, and an odor-treatment facility. All treatment facilities are underground, while above ground, amenities for residents, including a soccer field and a jokgu court, have been built.

The above-ground Resource Circulation Experience Center, which opens this time, covers 514 square meters and features an exterior that looks like a bottle lying on its side. Inside are a zero-waste cafe and shop, as well as educational and hands-on activity spaces. The exhibition hall on the third basement level, covering 1,105 square meters, includes an exhibition hall, a tour route, and an activity room. Visitors can see firsthand how waste they have sorted is sorted and treated.

About 300 people, including officials from the three northwestern districts and local residents, will attend the opening ceremony. The program will also include activities for residents, such as celebratory performances, tours of the facility, upcycling activities, and information on waste sorting. The district plans to offer environmental education and tour programs that link the experience center with the exhibition hall.

District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, "The Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center is the result of the three districts working together to overcome the challenges of construction. We will operate the sorting and treatment facilities in northwestern Seoul reliably and develop the center into a hub where residents can learn about and practice resource circulation."

Aerial view of the Eunpyeong Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center. Provided by Eunpyeong-gu.

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