In this blog post, we’ll examine the two sides of Samcheok—a South Korean tourist destination known for its beautiful natural scenery that has also evolved into a hub for the energy industry—and consider the impact of this development on tourism and the environment.
Samcheok: A Tourist City Embraced by Beautiful Nature
Samcheok, South Korea, is a small-to-medium-sized city with a population of around 60,000, located in the southeastern part of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Flanked on both sides by the Taebaek Mountains and the East Sea coast, it is famous for its expansive ocean views and beautiful mountains. Let’s take a closer look at Samcheok’s beautiful side as a tourist destination.
The area features a variety of limestone formations, including Hwansun Cave—known as the largest limestone cave in East Asia—Daegum Cave, where visitors can tour the interior via a monorail, and karst landscapes found throughout the outskirts of the city. Samcheok hosted the World Cave Expo in 2002, and with Hwansun Cave and Daegum Cave continuing to attract a steady stream of tourists, these limestone formations are Samcheok’s signature tourist attractions. Furthermore, as a coastal city, Samcheok has developed a thriving marine tourism industry. The New Millennium Coastal Road, built along the coastline in 2000, hosts various events every New Year’s Day, and numerous tourists visit the city’s beaches, both large and small. Additionally, the Marine Rail Bike, which allows riders to cycle along the coast, is considered one of Samcheok’s signature tourist attractions. Finally, visitors can experience the atmosphere of the past at Jukseoru Pavilion—one of the Eight Scenic Views of Gangdong—as well as at Haesindang Park, the East Sea Spine Monument, and Isabu Lion Park.
Transforming from a Tourist City to an Energy Industry City
A wind of change has blown through Samcheok City, which is famous for its diverse tourism industry and stunning natural landscapes. Behind its image as a tourist city, it has developed another facet as an industrial city. Samcheok City covers an area of approximately 1,185.8 km², a vast region roughly twice the size of Seoul. Furthermore, its coastal location provides favorable conditions for the establishment of various power generation and energy-related facilities. Building on these geographical advantages and policy support, energy-related industrial facilities began to take root in Samcheok. Mayor Kim Dae-su, who took office in 2010, also presented a vision to transform Samcheok into a Northeast Asian energy industry city with a population of 200,000 through national energy projects and pushed forward various policies.
First, in July 2008, Samcheok was selected as the site for the fourth LNG production base, following Pyeongtaek, Incheon, and Tongyeong. Consequently, large-scale investments were made to develop the LNG production terminal and a port capable of accommodating large LNG carriers. The Samcheok LNG production terminal began operations with its Phase 1 facilities in July 2014; the facility has since been expanded and continues to operate as one of South Korea’s major LNG production terminals. According to the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), the Samcheok production base has an LNG storage capacity of 2.61 million cubic meters and a vaporization and distribution facility capable of handling 1,320 metric tons per hour. In particular, the 270,000 cubic meter LNG storage tank was known at the time as the world’s largest commercial storage tank to incorporate the latest technology. Second, a large-scale thermal power generation project was also pursued in Samcheok. As large-scale power generation facilities were established through projects such as the construction of the Samcheok Integrated Power Complex, Samcheok’s identity as an energy industry city was further strengthened. Finally, plans were made to establish a nuclear energy cluster by attracting a nuclear power plant and nuclear-related research facilities. However, these plans were never actually realized.
In accordance with the government’s energy transition policy, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power decided in 2018 to terminate the Samcheok Daejin Nuclear Power Plant project, and in 2019, the designation of the planned site for the nuclear power plant was revoked. Therefore, the plans outlined in the original text to construct a nuclear power plant and a nuclear energy cluster by 2028 are no longer valid as a description of Samcheok today.
What are the pros and cons of this development?
Samcheok has expanded its industrial base by attracting energy-related businesses and industrial facilities. Furthermore, with support from the national and local governments, the city has pursued not only national projects but also various initiatives aimed at improving citizens’ welfare, cultural life, educational environments, and comfortable living conditions. In particular, projects to expand the transportation network have been carried out. The Samcheok extension of the Donghae Expressway opened in 2016, and road network improvement projects—such as the widening and paving of portions of National Route 38—were also carried out. Alongside these efforts, various urban infrastructure expansion projects, including residential land development and apartment construction, were implemented.
However, as the idiom “every coin has two sides” suggests, where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. Concerns have been raised throughout the city regarding the adverse effects of energy industry development. As large-scale facilities such as power plants and ports were built along the coast, concerns emerged about coastal sand erosion and the destruction of natural landscapes. Furthermore, following the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, distrust regarding the safety of nuclear power plants grew, and discussions and conflicts surrounding the construction of a nuclear power plant continued in Samcheok as well. Although the planned site for the Samcheok Daejin Nuclear Power Plant was officially withdrawn in 2019, the question of how the expansion of the energy industry affects the region’s natural and living environments remains a critical issue.
Whether Samcheok, which has developed as an energy industry city, can continue to function as a tourist destination in the future depends on the direction of its development. While development offers various benefits, it can also have the adverse effect of environmental damage from the perspective of the tourism industry. Therefore, when carrying out projects related to the energy industry, development must be pursued cautiously, giving full consideration to the impact on the tourism industry and the natural environment. If the energy industry is utilized effectively, it can go beyond simply expanding industrial facilities to become a source of new tourism resources or local industrial and cultural assets. Only when Samcheok harmoniously balances its identity as a tourist destination with that of an energy industry hub will it be able to take a significant step forward as a city where nature and industry coexist.
