Pohang: A court of appeals has overturned a lower court’s decision that strong earthquakes that struck Pohang in 2017 and 2018 were caused by a geothermal power plant then under construction in the southeastern port city, judicial officials said Tuesday. Pohang, 271 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was hit hard by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in November 2017 and a 4.6 magnitude quake in February 2018, which caused injuries and property damage to its residents.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a group of 111 citizens filed a damage claim suit against the state and POSCO, which took part in the geothermal power plant project, blaming the power plant for the tremors. However, the Daegu High Court ruled against the plaintiffs on Monday, stating that there is not enough evidence to acknowledge a link between the quakes and the power plant.
Earlier, a district court had ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, acknowledging the state’s liability and ordering the defendants to pay 2 million won (US$1,420) to 3 million won in compensation. The plaintiffs demanded compensation for mental damage caused by the quakes, ranging from 42,955 won to 20 million won.