Controversy Erupts Over Pohang Medical Waste Incinerator Construction as Permitting Official Joins Company Post-Retirement

The construction project for a medical waste incinerator being pursued in Cheongha-myeon, Pohang City, has sparked questions about public service ethics and the transparency of the permit process, following the revelation that the official responsible for approving the project later joined the company as an executive after retiring. The construction of the medical waste incinerator is underway on a wooded hill in Cheongha-myeon, Buk-gu, Pohang City, with a scale of one basement level and four above-ground floors. Although construction was previously denied due to a lack of necessity and insufficient resident acceptance, it resumed after the business entity won an administrative lawsuit, with Pohang City granting the construction permit six months after the ruling in March last year.

Environmental groups and nearby residents pointed out that the project proceeded rapidly and that the process was not properly disclosed.

In December last year, three months after the construction permit was approved, the department head who was in charge of construction permit affairs at the time took early retirement and was hired as a director at the incinerator construction company. It was found that despite being an official in charge of permits, they did not undergo an employment review. Environmental groups stated that at least three former and current executive-level public officials from Pohang City Hall, including this former department head, are employed at the company.

The Pohang Environmental Movement Federation urged the city to clarify whether the permitting administration at the time was based on a conviction for public good or was a preparatory step for future employment, demanding that Pohang City immediately disclose all details, including whether an employment review was conducted. Pohang City stated that the permit for the waste treatment facility was issued in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling and added that it is reviewing whether there were any issues with the hiring process of the former construction permit department head.