◀ Anchor ▶
Yesterday, we reported that Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is paying penalties of up to several million won to farmers who use agricultural electricity without clear standards.
As the wave grows, local governments and farmers are preparing to launch class action lawsuits.
However, KEPCO said it would conduct more frequent crackdowns.
Reporter Lim Ji-eun covered the story.
◀ Report ▶
This is a low-temperature warehouse that uses agricultural electricity for a farmhouse that grows blueberries in Gurye.
During harvest season, they are filled with agricultural products, but when it is not harvest season, general foods are also stored together.
However, at the end of last year, a KEPCO employee came and made a problem with the kimchi and pickled vegetables stored in the low-temperature warehouse.
In the meantime, I didn’t even hear the notice that kimchi should not be stored, but a penalty of 6 million won was imposed.
[고흥석/구례군 블루베리 농민]
“It’s absurd. From the point of view of ordinary farmers or small business owners, millions of won is really…”
Farmers who had stored kimchi for a similar period were also hit with penalty charges ranging from tens to millions of won.
It is said that only agricultural products should be put in low-temperature warehouses that use agricultural electricity. As a result of the interview, it was revealed that KEPCO did not have a specific standard for not putting any items in it, and that the period for imposing a penalty was set at KEPCO’s discretion.
[한국전력 구례지사 관계자]
“Sometimes it becomes a situation where the accumulated deficit reaches 30 trillion won. Because we are also under management pressure, there is a factor of electricity rate increase last year…”
As criticism of KEPCO’s unreasonable crackdown grew, a civic group reported the president of KEPCO to the police, and the National Federation of Farmers’ Associations also began investigating damage cases in other regions.
The Gurye-gun Office and Congress plan to file a class action lawsuit against KEPCO along with farmers.
[이창호/구례군의원]
“KEPCO lost the lawsuit against fishery products and processed fishery products. KEPCO said that processed agricultural products produced by our farmers were illegal…”
However, KEPCO said it would rather increase the number of crackdowns in the future.
Rather than discussing the subject and period of penalty with farmers, we will strengthen crackdowns.
[한전 관계자]
“(During the crackdown), we also trained the staff so that on-site guidance can be done…”
In addition, he added that processed agricultural products such as kimchi would be targeted more often to farmers with the guidance that they are subject to penalties.
This is Im Ji-eun from MBC News.
Video coverage: Kim Sang-bae (Gwangju)
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