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| Hundreds of travelers pass through Jeju International Airport on their way home, Feb. 6, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday. / Yonhap |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Controversy is heating up over the government's plan to establish a second international airport on Jeju Island by 2025, as there is a strong backlash from local residents and civic groups, who are claiming there are major flaws in the general plan.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted a feasibility study in 2015 and 2016 for the airport construction project in Seongsan, a rural area on the eastern tip of the scenic island. However, faced with strong opposition from the residents and civic groups who fear damage to the pristine environment, it conducted a re-evaluation of the plan from June to November last year.
The re-study found no problems with the project, and the government began procedures to establish the airport in December.
However, local residents and civic groups claim there are vital flaws in the plan, especially key factors that were left out during the government feasibility studies, including a recently found lava cave, a habitat for migratory birds near the location as well as military airspace overlap and a lack of consideration of the number of foggy days.
"After thoroughly looking into the government's feasibility studies, we found flaws significant enough to change the final location for the airport. But the flaws were not considered in the re-evaluation," civic groups against the plan said in a press conference at the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, Tuesday.
The groups demanded an entirely new procedure and method to properly evaluate the site and the project. "The transport ministry should hold a public debate at least three times this month and ask residents of their opinions about the results," the groups said.
After the ministry's re-evaluation results came out, the protest grew tougher, with some residents staging a hunger strike in front of the provincial government building.
Following the protest, the ministry said, Wednesday, it would thoroughly communicate with the residents and try to address their opinions in the project by reflecting complaints about noise and environmental damage.
It will explain the results of the second feasibility study to the residents in a session today, with the ministry's Director of Aviation Safety Policy Kwon Yong-bok and some 200 residents taking part.
"We will consider the residents' expectations and concerns to establish a safe and comfortable airport. We will make the entire construction process transparent," Kwon said.
The controversy dates back to November 2015, when the transport ministry first announced its intention to establish the 5 million-square-meter airport in Seongsan by 2025 with 4.87 trillion won ($4.34 billion) to accommodate 25 million passengers annually.
The decision was pushed forward as the existing international airport is becoming saturated and already suffers flight delays due to the rapid increase in domestic and foreign tourists.
However, Jeju residents and civic groups have been against the project citing its negative impact on the pristine environment of the resort island's eastern region which is relatively less developed.
