Park Hyung-jun: "'Gadeok New Airport' Will Develop the Entire Southern Region... TK Persuasion Is Possible" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Park Hyung-joon, a professor at Dong-A University and considered one of the opposition candidates for mayor of Busan, expressed his support for the scrapping of the Gimhae New Airport, stating that "the Gadeokdo New Airport will be a catalyst for the development of the entire southern region." Professor Park said he plans to announce his candidacy next month and is confident he can persuade the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region, which opposes the plan.

On the 18th, Professor Park said on Facebook, "If things continue like this, we will end up with two republics: the first-class republic of Seoul and the second-class republic of the southern region."

He emphasized, "Even if this is politically exploited with elections in mind, I will not blame anyone. That shows how desperate Busan and the southern region are. More than half of the population is concentrated in the metropolitan area, along with money and talent, yet the southern region has not found an opportunity for autonomous development."

Professor Park proposed, "The Gadeokdo New Airport will be a catalyst for the development of the entire southern region. Let's create a logistics hub airport connecting industry and ports as a gateway to Northeast Asia."

He explained, "This airport is not just Busan's airport but the airport for the entire southern region. Gadeokdo and Daegu can be connected by a one-hour transportation network, and if the KTX between Busan and Mokpo is linked, we can create a fantastic tourism belt connecting Busan, Geoje, Yeosu, and Mokpo throughout the southern region."

Professor Park said, "What matters is the vision and alternatives with which we build the Gadeokdo New Airport. The metropolitan area is soaring, but the southern region, which is lagging behind, cannot afford to waste time on internal conflicts."

He added, "We must quickly push forward a catalyst that can make the entire southern region another axis of South Korea's development. Whoever becomes mayor or the next president cannot neglect this mission."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Park also emphasized that it is possible to persuade the TK region's opposition. On the same day, he appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "Whether the airport is in Miryang or Gadeokdo, the distance from Daegu is not that great. An airport connected to the port is also important for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk regional economy."

He said, "If we look at this from a broader perspective rather than a narrow one, persuasion is definitely possible. By creating a Gadeokdo Airport that allows for mutual coexistence, if we brainstorm ways to enhance the transportation network of Daegu and the entire southern region and the related industrial ripple effects together, the conflict will not be repeated as it was in the past."

Professor Park said, "I plan to announce my candidacy in early December. To properly engage in this election, it is most important to prepare a vision and alternatives thoroughly, and we are in the final stages of preparing these."

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