Gangwon Province governor calls for halt to People Power Party complaints over SK Group investment
'I regret being made to feel I should not have dropped the complaint,' Woo says
Move seen as political maneuvering ahead of possible by-election following Kwon Seong-dong's detention
Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho on Monday called on the People Power Party to stop what he described as politically motivated attacks over the planned SK Group AI data center in Gangneung, saying that even if the moves were aimed at a potential by-election following the detention of Rep. Kwon Seong-dong, restricting activities related to corporate investment was unacceptable.
Speaking at a press briefing at the provincial government building, Woo expressed strong displeasure over the PPP's complaints, referring to his earlier decision to drop a complaint he had filed against former Governor Kim Jin-tae during the last local elections. "I thought there was an implicit understanding that we would put what happened during the last local elections behind us, so I dropped the complaint in the spirit of unity," Woo said. "You should not make me feel that dropping that complaint was something I should regret."
The dispute stems from remarks Kim made during the campaign claiming that Woo, then a candidate for governor, had opposed national funding for the Chuncheon-Sokcho east-west high-speed rail line. Woo denied the claim and filed a complaint against Kim for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act, accusing him of spreading false information. Woo later withdrew that complaint on July 1, the first day of the ninth term of elected local government, citing a desire for unity and reconciliation.
The PPP has since filed its own complaint against Woo, alleging that his statements declaring the SK Group AI data center in Gangneung a done deal were false.
The project is currently facing difficulties over power supply issues, and broader negotiations and investment conditions have stalled due to various external factors — though the project has not been abandoned.
Woo also took aim at a ground-breaking ceremony held in Gangneung's Gangdong-myeon in March, which former Governor Kim Jin-tae and Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-gyu attended.
With the project showing no progress since that ceremony, Woo called it "an unprecedented fraud."
"If Gangwon Province becomes a place where companies are met with complaints and political controversies over investment, what company would want to invest here?" he said, urging all sides to stop the political fighting and await the outcome of the ongoing investigation — noting that he himself had already given a statement to investigators. "Would it not be better to compete over how to make Gangneung thrive?"
Woo added that the AI data center project in Donghae is on track to break ground before the end of the year, while those in Wonju and Chuncheon have cleared more than half the hurdles needed to move forward.
abc@heraldcorp.com
