The air pollution caused by thermal power plants operating on Jeju Island has recently emerged as a pressing issue. In the case of liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants, it was shockingly revealed that nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions exceeded legal limits 2,817 times last year. This means emissions surpassed the standard limit an average of 7.7 times per day. Furthermore, the extent of these exceedances is alarming, ranging from 6.4 to a staggering 22.1 times the permitted levels. Consequently, residents in areas hosting these gas power plants—Samyang-dong and Hallim-eup in Jeju City, and Andeok-myeon in Seogwipo City—are understandably raising serious concerns about infringements on their right to health.
Despite this severe situation, no sanctions have been imposed. This is primarily because most violations occurred during designated “exemption periods.” Due to technical limitations wherein emission reduction devices at gas power plants only function properly at high temperatures, a legal exemption window is granted. This covers the first five hours of operation before sufficient heating is achieved, and two hours after shutdown. During these windows, the plants are legally immune from penalties for exceeding emission standards.
The primary problem is that no one is held accountable when toxic air pollutants are released during these exemption periods. An even greater issue is that, even when excessive emissions are severe enough to warrant administrative penalties, the power plants neither transparently disclose this information nor issue warnings to local residents. In fact, while there were 748 violations meeting the criteria for administrative penalties at gas power plants in Jeju last year, there has not been a single instance of public disclosure or accountability. The resulting damage from these excessive emissions falls entirely on the local community.
The issues do not end there. The situation at bio-heavy oil power plants, another type of thermal power facility, is equally dire. During last year’s parliamentary audit, National Assembly member Kim Han-kyu exposed the reality of air pollutant emissions from bio-heavy oil power plants. He highlighted that their emission levels approached, and in some cases significantly exceeded, those of coal-fired power plants. However, recent checks confirm that these problems remain unresolved.
A recent review of the air pollutant emissions from the six operating bio-heavy oil power plants in Jeju revealed little to no improvement. Most continue to show emission levels similar to the past, with the discharge of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides remaining particularly severe.
Now, the Jeju Provincial Government and the Jeju Provincial Council must take action. We can no longer turn a blind eye to a situation that poses a direct threat to the health and well-being of local residents. Authorities must thoroughly inspect the current state of air pollution and demand the implementation of clear emission reduction measures. Furthermore, they must conduct health impact assessments for local residents to grasp the extent of the damage and make proactive efforts to protect the citizens’ right to health. The 9th popularly elected Jeju provincial administration and the Provincial Council will soon officially begin their duties. I expect to see an administration and a council that respond clearly and resolutely to issues directly affecting the health of the people.
This article was contributed to the Halla Ilbo on June 15, 2026.