New airport to bring growth to Jeju Island

Won Hee-ryong
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province governor

By Chung Ah-young

Jeju Island in the southwest portion of Korea was once a local honeymooners' destination but is now also a must-visit attraction for foreign travelers, particularly Chinese tourists, all year round.

More and more foreigners are finding the island attractive owing to its exotic culture and beautiful natural landscape, which create a relaxing environment, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of shopping centers in the nation's urban tourist spots.

To cope with the surging number of tourists, a new airport will be built by 2025; the terminal at the current airport on Jeju's north coast is expected to reach full capacity around 2018.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently announced the plan for the 4.1-trillion-won airport in Seongsan-eup in Seogwipo City on the eastern part of the island.

The construction of the new airport, which will have one runway, will start in 2018 and be completed in 2024 for a scheduled opening in 2025.

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province said the plan for the new airport is a long-cherished dream that will enable it to cater to the interests of the growing number of tourists. The provincial government said it looked 50 years into the future and determined that the second airport is necessary to solve the overcrowding at the current airport.

"We are seeking ways to shorten the construction period as much as we can because the current airport will soon surpass its capacity. The new airport will share the traffic with the current airport," Governor Won Hee-ryong said.

"The new airport will have only one runway, but the site can be expanded to accommodate one more runway in the future if the number of passengers surpasses 25 million some 20 or 30 years after it opens," he said.

The current Jeju International Airport has been subject to soaring passenger traffic, particularly passengers from China on low-cost carriers. It currently serves 23.2 million passengers, becoming the second-busiest airport in the country after Incheon International Airport. The current number of passengers is a significant increase from 11.35 million in 2005 and 15.72 million in 2010. The government estimated that the figure will reach 28.3 million in 2018, 32.11 million in 2020 and 39.39 million in 2025.

The province said the second airport is expected to accommodate some 25 million visitors annually.

Won said the construction of the new airport will also help the region's balanced development. Other current and future major projects on the western part of the island include the Jungmun Tourist Complex; Jeju Myths and History Theme Park, a world-class integrated resort; and Jeju Global Education City.

"The second airport will become a new growth engine on the eastern part of the island and serve as the driving force for balanced regional development. It is not only good for the development of Jeju but also for that of the entire nation," he said.

The provincial government and the ministry had considered three options ― expanding the current airport, closing the current airport and building a completely new airport with two runways, and building a second airport at a different location.

The first option was dropped because it would cost 9.4 trillion won and destroy the natural environment, as it required land to be reclaimed. The second one was also excluded because it faced opposition from residents near the current airport and would have also destroyed the environment.

The third option was chosen because it is cost-effective and more environmentally friendly. The ministry said the weather on the site for the new airport is ideal for an airport; for example, the wind direction and the airspace do not conflict with that of the current airport and the area has fewer residents, so the noise will affect fewer people.

"This is the largest project in the island's history. It means widening our gate twice. The island will grow and have assets to hand down to our next generation," he said.

Synergy effect

According to a report by the province in April, the new airport will bring an estimated 2.7 trillion won in economic effects after being completed ― 520 billion won in the third year, 560 billion won in the fourth year and 453 billion won in the fifth year.

The province has also been planning to set up an airport complex called Air City around the second airport. The complex will house various facilities, such as shopping malls and convention and financial centers, and will be located near the resorts.

"We are considering a plan to establish Air City without negatively affecting residents. The ‘airport city' will play an international and economic role. If the airport only serves as a runway on which tens of millions of tourists come and go, its potential is not maximized. I want to use this airport so that it contributes to economic growth and brings significant benefits to the people living on the eastern part of the island," Won said in a recent meeting with residents living near the site.

The region's tourism industry is expected to grow further, as the area around Air City's location has numerous tourist attractions, such as Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and attracts more than 3 million visitors every year; Seopjikoji; Seongeup Folk Village; Jeju Folk Village; and parts of Jeju Olle 3 Route.

The tourism industry on the island of Jeju has been growing by an average of 10 percent annually for the last 10 years.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of foreign tourists to Jeju has been rising significantly over the last decade or so, from 221,000 in 2003 to 379,000 in 2005, 541,000 in 2007, 632,000 in 2009, 1 million in 2011 and 2.3 million in 2013.

A 2014 domestic travel survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shows that Jeju is the most satisfying travel destination among 17 cities and provinces in the country.

The island had the highest scores in terms of travelers' overall satisfaction with 4.33 out of 5 points, willingness for repeat travel with 4.31 points and willingness to recommend it to others with 4.33 points. Jeju has topped the survey since 2011.