Kim Tae-nyeon: "Next Year's Budget to Increase Gadeokdo New Airport Research Fund by 2 Billion Won... Will Accelerate"

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Wondara and Jeon Jinyoung] Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that the budget for the Gadeokdo New Airport will be increased by 2 billion KRW in next year’s budget.

On the morning of the 19th, at a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly, Floor Leader Kim said, "The verification results of the Gimhae New Airport are the inevitable conclusion," and added, "The Democratic Party will push forward the Gadeokdo New Airport as quickly as possible." He continued, "The Democratic Party will increase the research project budget related to the Gadeokdo New Airport by 2 billion KRW," and said, "We will expedite preparations for the 2030 Expo through the special law being prepared by Policy Committee Chair Han Jeong-ae."

He also said, "For the past 17 years, demand surveys and evaluation work have been repeatedly conducted to select the site for the new airport. We urge the government not to repeat administrative waste and to prepare a plan for the prompt commencement of the new airport construction."

The "2 billion KRW research budget" mentioned by Floor Leader Kim was a budget that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had expressed reluctance about at the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 6th. At that time, Minister Kim Hyun-mi of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in response to Democratic Party lawmakers’ request to increase the budget by 2 billion KRW for the Gadeokdo New Airport verification project, "It is not legally appropriate to designate a specific area (Gadeokdo) and review its suitability before the conclusion that Gimhae New Airport is inappropriate has been reached."

In response, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties proposed a compromise plan to increase the existing policy research and development (R&D) project budget by 2 billion KRW and use it for reviewing the suitability of the Gadeokdo New Airport once the verification committee’s results are released. Minister Kim said, "Once the verification results are announced by the Prime Minister’s Office, the increased 2 billion KRW in the policy R&D project budget will be used as a follow-up budget."

Meanwhile, regarding the opposition party’s criticism that the Gadeokdo New Airport is an election ploy, Floor Leader Kim said, "Criticism should be directed at the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations," and emphasized, "The Gadeokdo New Airport, initiated by the Democratic Party, will be completed by the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party will not engage in irresponsible politics that incite regional conflicts and give false hope through inconsistent administration for election purposes like the Park Geun-hye government did."

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