Data centers have become more important in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and are being built not in areas where IT corporations are concentrated or where electricity is cheap, but next to apartment complexes in the middle of Seoul. Nearby residents often protest, saying, 'What does it mean that a data center, not a commercial complex with a hospital, private academy, convenience store, or café, is built next to the apartments?' It is said that the downtown area of Seoul is advantageous for operating data centers due to convenient transportation, which has led to cases of providing compensation to residents to placate their opposition.
◇4 out of 10 private data centers are in Seoul… Finding vacant land to build next to apartments
According to the report on the 30th from Guro-gu, Seoul, a data center has been under construction since last month on land adjacent to the Centrebilleus Apartment, which has 1,089 units, located in Gaebong-dong. A building with four underground floors and eight above ground, covering 33,540 square meters, will be constructed. Numerous servers and various electronic devices will fill the inside, and KT Cloud is expected to operate the data center.
There was originally a wedding hall on this site. There was also a bank branch on the first floor. Following the news that a data center is being built in its place, a banner reading 'Stop the construction of the data center that threatens resident health' was hung in the apartments. Meeting with resident Kim (42), on the 21st, stated, “High-voltage lines will be buried right in front of the apartments because of the data center,” and noted, “Electromagnetic waves will come out, negatively affecting children's growth.”
Such conflicts are becoming more frequent as AI penetrates everyday life. As I encounter more AI in my life, the demand for servers that handle that information has increased, resulting in them being built right in front of my house.
According to the Korea Data Center Association (KDCC), as of the end of 2023, out of 153 data centers nationwide, 45 (29.4%) are located in Seoul, and among private data centers, 34 out of 85 (40%) have been built in Seoul. When expanding to Incheon and Gyeonggi, 58.8% of all data centers are located in the metropolitan area. Private data centers are 72.9% constructed in the metropolitan area. As of the end of last year, among 36 data centers under construction, 21 (58.3%) are located in the metropolitan area.
◇Conflicts over data centers next to apartments in Yeongdeungpo, Dangsan-dong, Goyang, Gimpo, and Bupyeong
As data centers are built in densely populated areas such as Seoul and Incheon and Gyeonggi, conflicts like the one in Gaebong-dong also arise. In places like Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul, Deogi-dong in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang, Gurae-dong in Gimpo, and Cheongcheon-dong in Bupyeong, data centers are being built right next to apartment complexes, leading to disputes. According to global real estate services firm Savills Korea, more than half of the 35 data center construction projects that received permits in the metropolitan area as of last month are facing difficulties or delays in construction.
Although the likelihood of disputes is high, building data centers next to apartment complexes is generally preferred over constructing them in rural areas because it is seen as more acceptable to endure the conflict.
A spokesperson for the Data Center Association said, 'It doesn't matter if the data center itself is located in regional areas or overseas,' but noted that 'data centers operating by renting out servers after constructing buildings are more advantageous in the metropolitan area.' This is because immediate action is required when a problem arises with the servers, and it is difficult to secure skilled labor in rural areas. Thus, in the search for vacant land to build a data center, they come to build next to apartment complexes.
◇While the electromagnetic waves from data centers are at a level similar to electric rice cookers, residents are still opposed
Residents mainly file complaints due to concerns about health hazards from the electromagnetic waves emitted by data centers. Data center operators claim they are unjustly accused. According to data released at a forum hosted by the National Radio Research Institute in November last year by the Future Radio Engineering Research Institute, the electromagnetic waves from data center power equipment are at a level similar to those from electric rice cookers. The electromagnetic waves from the 'Gak Chuncheon' data center operated by Naver are about 1% of that from a household microwave.
However, it is said that even if the industry informs residents of these details, it is not easily convincing. To placate resident opposition, data center operators sometimes offer 'carrots' as a incentive. An anonymous official from Guro-gu stated, 'When we issued permits to build a data center in Gaebong-dong in December 2022, complaints from neighboring apartment residents surged, but around the second half of last year, those complaints suddenly stopped,' adding, 'I understand that compensation negotiations were made between the construction company and the residents.'