Samcheok Blue Power, a coal-fired power plant and an affiliate of POSCO Group, will begin commercial operation in May. The construction of the plant has already irreversibly damaged Maengbang Beach, which is famous as the filming location for BTS' album jacket. Once Units 1 and 2 are fully operated, a whopping 13 million tons of greenhouse gases are emitted annually. With coal power plants being shut down on one side of the country to reduce carbon emissions and new ones being built on the other side, it is doubtful that there is a proper roadmap for achieving the “2050 coal-free” goal.

Maengbang Beach, nicknamed “Myeongsashipri” for its 10-ri (about 4 kilometers) stretch of fine, soft sand, used to be crowded with tourists and BTS fans taking selfies. Today, it is completely different. The sand has been carved away by coastal erosion and the color of rushing waves has turned black. This is because Samcheok Blue Power poured contaminated soil and sludge (sewage debris) from its construction site into the place where the fine sand was swept away and the current changed as it built a breakwater. In the future, future generations will only be able to see the beautiful beach in photos or in the BTS album jacket.

In addition to the destruction of Maengbang Beach, the plant's annual emissions of 13 million tons of greenhouse gases are equivalent to those generated by 5 million internal combustion locomotives, accounting for 1.8 percent of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions. Considering that the Ministry of Environment said that the power sector reduced about 10 million tons of greenhouse gases from the electricity sector between 2022 and 2023, the plant is overturning the reduction of those two years at once. Samcheok Blue Power touts itself as an "eco-friendly luxury power plant" and promotes the effect of "local win-win" and "job creation," but the plant, located just five kilometers from the city center, will also emit 570 tons of ultra-fine dust annually into the local community.

The operation of Samcheok Blue Power raises doubts about the government's commitment to the 2050 coal-free goal. Samcheok Blue Power raises questions about the government's commitment to its 2050 coal-free goal. Despite the government's policy to gradually phase out 30 coal plants by 2036, there are seven new power plants that have started or will start commercial operations since 2021. If Samcheok Blue Power is operated for 30 years as it is expected, the coal plant will be operated until at least 2050.

No matter how much we emphasize the seriousness of environmental problems on Earth Day, we cannot help but cringe at the operation of a new coal plant. The year 2050, which is the time of Korea’s complete coal-free status, is 15 to 20 years behind developed countries. Even that has only a goal and there is no proper roadmap for it, it is frustrating as the government has been easygoing, contrary to the coal phase-out movement in the international community.