The Korea Local Administration Review

In Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, the Hanul nuclear power plant (a dangerous facility) and the Jukbyeon emergency landing strip (a hazardous facility) coexist. Local residents have complained of psychological pain as a result of potential disasters and have demanded guaranteed safety rights. However, public conflict continues as no solution has yet been proposed. In this study, we conducted a multi-faceted and empirical issue analysis to contribute to future policy consideration, by opening the policy window. The results reveal no legal problem with the coexistence of these two facilities, despite the possibility of substantial risks. This can be used as a prompt in rational discussions to resolve public conflict between civilians, the military, and the government. We expect this analytical approach can contribute methodologically to the recent trend in public administration toward evidence-based policymaking and can be applied to the study of similar cases in the future.