Democratic Party to Swiftly Advance Special Law for New Airport... Lee Nak-yeon Pledges "Full Party Support"

Kim Su-sam, Chairman of the Gimhae New Airport Verification Committee, is announcing the verification results of the Gimhae New Airport Verification Committee on the afternoon of the 17th at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The Democratic Party of Korea has formed a 'Southeast Region New Airport Promotion Team' to swiftly push for the enactment of a special law.

Choi In-ho, the senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated in a briefing on the 17th, "We will do our utmost to provide legal and financial support so that the government can proceed with the Southeast Region New Airport project as quickly as possible."

The head of the promotion team will be Han Jeong-ae, chair of the Policy Committee, and the deputy heads will be the chairpersons of the city and provincial party committees of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, as well as the secretary of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. Han Jeong-ae will also be the chief sponsor of the special law.

Spokesperson Choi said, "We will secure the research service expenses for the 'Feasibility Study of Gadeok New Airport,' which was recently approved by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and is currently under review by the Budget and Accounts Committee, during this regular session of the National Assembly." He added, "We will swiftly push for the enactment of the special law to shorten the schedule as much as possible without skipping administrative procedures for the Southeast Region New Airport."

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, at an emergency meeting for promoting the Southeast Region Gateway Airport on the same day, said, "Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, has also expressed willingness to consider it. I consider this fortunate." He emphasized, "The task ahead of us is to proceed with the legal procedures swiftly. We must ensure that the residents of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam are no longer subjected to false hope."

He continued, "Various and extensive preparations, including legal supplements and rapid investigations, will be necessary. We will establish and operate an organization dedicated to this task, composed of members from the Policy Committee, the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, and representatives from Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and provide comprehensive support."

Lee also evaluated, "If an airport is built on Gadeokdo, a tri-port connecting the port, railway, and airport will be established. This will contribute significantly to the expansion and development of logistics and transportation." Referring to Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, he said, "The new airport will have an impact from the stage of bidding for the World Expo. We must respond promptly and meticulously, considering this as well."

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party, stated, "Politically interpreting the decision of the verification committee will only provoke further conflict and division." He urged, "The opposition party should not incite regional conflicts and should accept the decision of the verification committee as it is."

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