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Key Facts

Published by the Pungcheon-ri Residents' Committee | March 2026

Residents of Pungcheon-ri in Hongcheon County, South Korea, have resisted KHNP's pumped-storage power plant plan since 2019. The project threatens a protected 1,800-hectare pine nut forest, around 110,000 pine trees, and the homes and livelihoods of 51 households.

Project Snapshot

Location

Pungcheon-ri, Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, South Korea

Developer

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP)

Main contractor

Daewoo E&C consortium

Plant size

600MW (300MW x 2 units)

Project area

1,530,279 square meters (about 153 hectares)

Total budget

1.5863 trillion KRW

Pine trees at risk

About 110,000 trees

Pine forest

1,800 hectares, designated as one of Korea's Top 100 Forests

Households affected

51 households

Livelihood reliance

Around 70% of residents rely on pine nut production

Endangered species

Goral, black woodpecker, otter

Length of struggle

March 2019 to present

Weekly protests

705+

Resident position

Unanimous opposition

Key Numbers

705+

Weekly protests

110K

Pine trees at risk

Households affected

Years of resistance