Gimpo Airport restricts property rights
By Lee Hyo-sik Residents near Gimpo International Airport, west of Seoul, are staging a full-fledged campaign to restore their property rights and urge the government to do more to reduce aircraft noise. They claim that they have not been able to properly exercise their property rights since the airport opened its door 50 years ago, pushing the government to raise the ceiling on the height of buildings and ease other restrictions on real estate development in the area. Residents also say they should be appropriately compensated for their suffering due to the constant airplane noise during the past five decades. However, government officials say that placing a cap on the height of buildings in the areas surrounding the airport and other restrictions are in accordance with international standards, stressing such regulations are essential to ensure flight safety. Residents of the Gangseo District in western Seoul have launched an ad-hoc committee to pressure the government to allow them to construct buildings higher than legally allowed, arguing their property rights hav
