Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport Relocation at Risk of Collapse... Market and County Heads Association 'Urgent Resolution'

Stalemate Persists After January Referendum on Gunwi-Uiseong County Conflict
Resolution: "Ministry of National Defense Must Quickly Convene Relocation Site Selection Committee"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] As concerns arise that the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport project could be canceled amid conflicts among local governments selected as preliminary candidate sites, mayors and county heads of Gyeongsangbuk-do gathered to discuss the prompt selection of the relocation site.

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Mayors and County Heads Council (Chairman Ko Yoon-hwan, Mayor of Mungyeong) held a forum on the 7th at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office with 21 mayors and county heads present, excluding the county heads of Gunwi and Uiseong, who were mentioned as candidate sites, to discuss key issues and solutions related to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport.

So far, the issue of relocating the integrated new airport seemed to have been settled when the joint candidate site of 'Gunwi Sobo and Uiseong Bian' defeated the single candidate site 'Gunwi Ubo' in the January 21st referendum. However, the Gunwi county head has insisted on a single candidate site alone, prioritizing the will of the residents, causing a stalemate. In this regard, the Ministry of National Defense maintains the position that "the relocation site of the integrated new airport has been effectively decided as the joint candidate site (Uiseong Bian - Gunwi Sobo) according to the referendum results."

In his opening remarks at the forum, Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, said, "The construction of the integrated new airport is a Gyeongbuk-type New Deal project that will help the regional economy, which is struggling due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to take off again," and urged, "Mayors and county heads should come together with insight so that the selection of the relocation site can be completed promptly."

The mayors and county heads attending the forum discussed current issues and various solutions. One leader pointed out, "Since competition between Gunwi and Uiseong residents to attract the integrated new airport is intense, bold incentives are needed to persuade the (losing) region."

A resolution requesting the Ministry of National Defense to promptly convene the Relocation Site Selection Committee was also adopted. In the resolution, the council emphasized, "The construction of the integrated new airport is a long-cherished project of 5.5 million residents of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, but there are concerns that the project may be jeopardized due to conflicts between Gunwi and Uiseong," and strongly urged, "We strongly call for the swift selection of the relocation site, reflecting the will of 2.7 million residents of Gyeongsangbuk-do."

Furthermore, it urged, "The Ministry of National Defense must promptly select the relocation site according to legally and socially agreed selection criteria and procedures," adding, "The 21 cities and counties of Gyeongbuk will actively cooperate with the Ministry of National Defense's decision on the relocation site selection, and Gunwi and Uiseong counties must also actively cooperate."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense is reportedly set to visit Gyeongsangbuk-do and Uiseong County on the 9th, and Daegu City and Gunwi County on the 10th to directly mediate.

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