By Na Jeong-ju
The recent spat over the government’s new airport construction plan bodes ill for conservatives ahead of the crucial April 27 by-elections, regarded as a litmus test for the general elections and the presidential election, both slated for next year, analysts say.
Amid signs of a division inside the ruling camp over where the airport should be located, the government announced Wednesday that it has scrapped the plan to build a new international airport in the southeastern part of the country.
The decision triggered a fierce backlash from residents in both Miryang of South Gyeongsang Province and Gadeok Island in Busan, which had engaged in a fierce competition to attract the airport.
“I feel heavy-hearted now,” President Lee Myung-bak said as he talked with Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik about the project, according to presidential secretary for public relations Hong Sang-pyo.
“We should make efforts to make the public understand that the cancellation was an inevitable choice for the benefits of the whole nation.”
The split in the Gyeongsang provinces, the home turf of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), illustrates a deep-rooted rivalry between the south and the north.
What complicates the issue further is the uneasy relationship between President Lee and former GNP Chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye, the leading presidential hopeful.
Park, whose political hometown is Daegu near Miryang, has preferred Miryang as the site for the new airport over Gadeok Island.
Observers say the case could re-ignite the row between Lee and Park, dealing a setback to the conservative party with the crucial elections approaching.
A Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said Lee will issue a statement soon to express his regret over the nullification and reveal an alternative plan to develop the provinces. The construction of the airport was one of his key presidential campaign pledges.
“Following an intensive feasibility study, we’ve concluded that building an airport in the southeastern part of the country is not cost-effective,” Prime Minister Kim told reporters.
Kim said the Lee administration will relay the new airport construction plan to the next government to keep it as a long-term state project.
Despite explanations from the government that economic feasibility was the most important factor in reaching such a decision, analysts say it was an inevitable political choice to address the looming split among conservatives.
It’s likely that the discord between the rival factions of the GNP over other key political points will remain annoying issues for President Lee.
Most recently, Lee and the lawmakers affiliated with him called for talks on revising the Constitution, but Rep. Park has reacted lukewarmly to the proposal. Park’s aides said the former chairwoman believes a constitutional revision is not necessary at this time.
What concerns the ruling camp is the decision’s political sensitivity.
Preserving the overwhelming support from the southeastern region is strategically important for the GNP, which is seeking to secure a victory in next year’s general elections and maintain a majority in the National Assembly.
Observers say a victory in the general elections is also crucial to win the presidential election, which will take place in the following months.