Historic Korean city wants future with nuclear dump

By Jon Herskovitz

KYONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) - The ancient Korean capital of Kyongju's past is reflected in the royal burial mounds from over 1,000 years ago. Its future, by popular local acclaim, will be as the country's biggest nuclear waste dump.

In an unusual plebiscite in 2005, South Korea dangled at least 300 billion won ($325 million) in aid and the promise of thousands of jobs to the area that would host the dump.

Four cities applied. Kyongju won with nearly 90 percent of its voters saying they wanted an area that is home to dozens of World Cultural Heritage sites to eventually store nearly 800,000 barrels of radioactive waste.

Residents were fed up with laws that protected relics for dwindling tourists, restricted development and kept out industry.

"There was no other way for us to increase growth. The deal was the best we could get," said Lee Jin-ku, a city council member who helped lead the charge for the dump.

Lee said up until the 1980s, the economy was vibrant with about 3 million tourists a year coming to see historic places of the Silla Dynasty, which started in 57 B.C, lasted for about 1,000 years and was the first kingdom to unify Korea.

But passport restrictions that limited overseas travel a generation ago have gone and now only about 1 million tourists a year visit the ancient city. Some complain it is overpriced.

Laws put firm limits on the types of buildings allowed in Kwongju and demand assurances that any unearthed relics will be protected.