Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Accepts Announcement to Reconsider Gimhae New Airport... Prompt Follow-up Measures to Be Prepared

Coordinate with the Prime Minister's Office to promptly establish follow-up measures

On the afternoon of the 17th, a commercial aircraft was moving at Gimhae International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Busan. The Gimhae New Airport Verification Committee under the Prime Minister's Office announced the feasibility verification results on the same day, stating, "The Gimhae New Airport plan requires significant improvements in safety, facility operation and demand, environment, and noise areas, and it is difficult to respond to future changes," and added, "A fundamental review of the Gimhae New Airport project is necessary." (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued a statement on the 17th expressing that it "humbly accepts the verification results" regarding the announcement by the Gimhae New Airport Verification Committee under the Prime Minister's Office that a fundamental reconsideration of the Gimhae New Airport project is necessary.

In a statement released that afternoon, the Ministry said, "The Verification Committee announced that the basic plan for Gimhae New Airport is difficult to respond to future changes such as expansion, and that the removal of mountain obstacles is necessary if local governments oppose it, thus requiring fundamental reconsideration as a gateway airport for the southeastern region," adding, "We will humbly accept the verification results in accordance with the agreement made last June with the three heads of the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) local governments."

Since January 2015, the Ministry has been reviewing the basic plan for Gimhae New Airport as the optimal location for a gateway airport in the southeastern region, based on an agreement among the five Yeongnam region provincial governors and by commissioning the French overseas expert agency ADPi. Through domestic and international standards and expert reviews, it was judged that safe flight procedures could be established without cutting mountain obstacles, so the plan was made to preserve the mountain obstacles.

However, the Verification Committee announced on the same day that the basic plan for Gimhae New Airport requires fundamental reconsideration, citing insufficient review of the need to supplement flight procedures, the necessity of early installation of a western taxiway, limitations on expansion to respond to future demand changes, and the expansion of noise range. With the Gimhae New Airport plan effectively scrapped, both inside and outside the government expect that while procedural reexamination will be conducted from scratch, the Gadeok New Airport, strongly demanded by Busan City and others, will be pursued.

The Ministry explained, "Based on the legal interpretation by the Ministry of Government Legislation, the Verification Committee's results stated that fundamental reconsideration of the Gimhae New Airport project is necessary," and added, "We will promptly prepare follow-up measures through close consultation with related agencies such as the Prime Minister's Office."

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