The South Korean government on Friday dismissed the outcome of a referendum on a nuclear power plant construction that was vetoed in an overwhelming majority by local residents, saying the vote has no legal basis.
Nearly 85 percent, or 24,531 out of 28,867, of voters in Samcheok on Thursday opposed the government plan to build a nuclear power plant in their city located some 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul, putting the small coastal city of 73,000 residents on a clash course with the central government.
The construction plan for the power plant in Samcheok had been finalized in September 2012, following an offer from the city's local government to host it. But the city's position changed after the incumbent mayor Kim Yang-ho was elected four months ago on a campaign pledge to scrap the project.