Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) issued an official apology after criticism continued over promotional banners posted by the Wolseong Nuclear Power Headquarters in Gyeongju. It came a day after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok noted on Facebook that they were "too insulting."
On the 22nd, Acting President Jeon Dae-uk of KHNP held a press conference at the Gyeongju Chamber of Commerce and Industry and said, "We deeply apologize for causing concern and hurt to the public and Gyeongju citizens," adding, "The banners were intended to publicize KHNP's support programs, but we failed to closely review the appropriateness of the content and expressions, which ended up causing hurt and distrust for everyone."
Jin, the acting chief, added, "We will take this incident as a lesson, be mindful of the public's expectations and the sentiments of the local community, and review our internal verification and decision-making procedures to prevent a recurrence."
Earlier, the KHNP Wolseong headquarters hung banners at 16 locations around downtown Gyeongju reading, "Over the past 5 years, the Wolseong Nuclear Power Headquarters paid 219 billion won in Gyeongju local government tax," "You enjoyed the noodles Wolseong headquarters gave out for free at this cherry blossom marathon, didn't you," and "In addition to taxes, KHNP also supports monthly performances at the Seoul Arts Center."
As controversy grew that the attitude toward local residents had crossed the line, on the 21st Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said, "The banners made citizens angry. They are too insulting. Without respect for residents, it is not communication," adding, "We will check the circumstances of the incident and use this as an opportunity to correct public officials' attitudes and methods of communication." The KHNP Wolseong headquarters removed all the banners 2–3 hours after putting them up.