의사결정 과정의 공정성과 미디어: 방폐장 입지 실패 사례를 중심으로

In the pursuit of selecting a suitable site for the disposal of radioactive waste in South Korea, decision- makers have endeavored to gain support from local residents by enhancing their benefit perceptions and reducing risk perceptions associated with this facility. Unfortunately, these efforts failed to garner the consent of the local citizens. This study posits that negative attitudes and strong resistance observed among residents stemmed from their perception of the unfairness of the decision-making process rather than the unfairness of the actual outcome. To evaluate the fairness of the decision-making processes across procedural, interpersonal, and informational aspects, we conducted case studies of failed site selection attempts in Anmyeondo, Gureopdo, and Buan. Furthermore, we reviewed existing literature to explore the role of the media in influencing citizens’ perceived fairness of the processes across these three dimensions. The findings reveal that decision-makers not only failed to ensure the fairness of the process in all three cases, but also struggled to respond effectively to media that exacerbated the perceived unfairness among local residents.