"Because It Is a National Park..." Slow Progress on Sinan Heuksan Airport

Contrasting Approaches to Small Airport Construction and Operation in World Heritage Sites

Location Map of Sinan Heuksan Airport Construction (Photo by Sinan-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The construction project of Heuksan Airport, a long-awaited project in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, has been at a standstill for several years due to being blocked in the review by the National Park Committee under the Ministry of Environment.

Despite the urgent desire for the construction of a small airport to secure the mobility rights of island residents, Heuksan Island has repeatedly faced obstacles due to being designated as a national park.

In particular, while small airports are being constructed and operated not only in national parks but also in World Cultural Heritage sites in countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, dissatisfaction among residents of the Heuksan area is increasing.

According to the "Investigation of Overseas Small Aircraft Operation Cases" announced on the 14th by Sinan-gun, commissioned to Mokpo National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia construct small airports to ensure convenience for island residents and users, guaranteeing basic transportation rights at the national level.

In Japan, five small airports with runways ranging from 800m to 1500m, capable of handling 50-seat small aircraft similar to Heuksan Airport, are operating within national parks.

Yakushima, located 60 km south of Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, is one of only four World Natural Heritage sites in the Japanese archipelago, yet a small airport is currently in operation there.

Yakushima Airport, built within the national park, opened in 1963 with a runway length of 1100m and was expanded to 1500m in 1976.

In the Philippines, Surigao Airport (1700m) is located within Surigao Sohoton National Park, and Princesa Airport (2600m) is situated inside the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, designated as a World Cultural Heritage site.

In Indonesia, Komodo Airport (1393m) and Lombok International Airport (2750m) operate within Komodo National Park, which consists of over 1,000 islands east of Bali Island. This area was designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1991.

However, the Heuksan Airport construction project has been stagnant as it has failed to pass the National Park Committee review due to concerns over damage to the national park's value, migratory bird protection measures, and safety issues.

On the other hand, Ulleungdo and Dokdo, regions very similar to Heuksan Island and Hongdo (Gageodo) in terms of geographical conditions, ecological environment, and territorial uniqueness, have been under consideration for designation as a marine national park by the Ministry of Environment since 2004, but the designation has been postponed due to strong opposition from 94% of Ulleungdo residents.

Ulleung Airport is progressing smoothly toward construction scheduled for the second half of this year, solely because it is designated as a geopark rather than a national park, which adds to the sense of loss felt by Heuksan residents.

During the preliminary feasibility study by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) in 2013, Ulleung Airport had a lower economic feasibility with a B/C ratio of 1.19 compared to Heuksan Airport’s B/C ratio of 4.38. Although the construction cost of Ulleung Airport is more than three times that of Heuksan Airport’s 183.3 billion won, at 663.3 billion won, it is being promoted solely because it is not located within a national park.

A Sinan-gun official stated, “Even developing countries formed by nearby islands are constructing small airports within national parks to guarantee the quality of life for residents,” adding, “It is a very regrettable reality that in our country, alternative transportation means cannot be secured due to concerns about damaging the value of national parks.”

Meanwhile, the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration has commissioned a service to reassess vegetation status and conservation grades raised by the National Park Committee and is currently conducting expert consultations and detailed investigations on the ecology of species such as the red-bellied goshawk, island camphor trees, and otters. They plan to submit a revised supplementary report to the Ministry of Environment once this is completed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.