507 international scholars, activists oppose Jeju's 2nd airport

Civic groups and environmental activists protest against the government's plan of constructing second airport on Jeju Island at Sejongno Park in Seoul, Nov. 1. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

International scholars and activists have joined a campaign against the construction of the second airport on Jeju Island, urging the government to scrap the plan.

An emergency committee, comprised of 111 Jeju-based civic groups and 39 nationwide environmental groups, created an online petition protesting the new airport plan from Dec. 9 to 15 with a total of 507 signees.

The signees include Noam Chomsky, an American progressive scholar and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), renowned American feminist Gloria Steinem and British activist and 2012 Nobel nominee Angie Zelter, according to the committee.

The committee said an increasing influx of tourists to the resort island has pushed it beyond its environmental capacity.

"They said the whole island of Jeju is a UNESCO-designated biosphere zone and it is visited by 1.5 million tourists annually, which has already surpassed its maximum number of visitors, advised to ensure environmental protection there," the committee said.

They further stated the construction plan threatens the citizens of Jeju Island and its environment by doubling the number of tourists.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced in June it will invest 4.87 trillion won to build yet another airport on the eastern side of the island, after decades of discussion.

Currently, the Ministry of Environment is carrying out a strategic environmental impact assessment.

Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae said earlier this week he is looking closely into all construction-related issues, adding he will also consider local residents' opinions.

The ministry will make its decision to approve the project today. If approved, construction is expected to begin next year.

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