(Ulsan=Yonhap News) Reporter Jang Young-eun = The Ulju County Council in Ulsan held a meeting on the 1st to gather opinions from residents of Wolpyeong Village in Dudong-myeon, a concentrated livestock area.
Residents claimed that the concentration of large-scale corporate livestock farms has led to various damages, including bad odors and environmental pollution, and urged the establishment of practical measures.
According to current regulations, cattle cannot be raised within 250 meters from a residential area of five or more households if the number of cattle is less than 50, within 300 meters if the number is between 50 and 100, and within 500 meters if the number is 100 or more.
In the case of Wolpyeong Village, the number of beef cattle farms increased from 55 farms with 880 cattle in 2015 to 73 farms with 2,390 cattle as of September this year.
The proportion of Wolpyeong Village in the total number of cattle in Ulju County also increased from 2.9% to 5.9%.
Residents of this village argued that "large-scale livestock farms that have avoided distance restrictions are concentrated near the village, threatening daily life," and emphasized the urgent need for measures to protect residents' health and living environment. Councilor Lee Sang-woo, who presided over the meeting, said, "I deeply empathize with the fact that the distance restriction measures for livestock farming have resulted in the side effect of concentrating livestock farms in specific areas, although they were intended to ensure a pleasant living environment for the people. We will seek ways to minimize the damage to residents through consultations with relevant departments."