People Power Party Pushes for Gadeokdo New Airport... "Considering Korea-Japan Undersea Tunnel" (Comprehensive)

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman, Attends Emergency Committee Meeting at Busan City Party Headquarters on the 1st

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, visited Daehang Observatory in Gadeokdo, Gangseo-gu, Busan on the morning of the 1st. After touring the planned site for Gadeokdo New Airport with the People Power Party's Busan mayoral preliminary candidates, he signed in support of the construction of Gadeokdo New Airport. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Busan=Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, visited Busan and pledged to work with the ruling party to pass the 'Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Special Act.' This formalizes his intention to actively promote the Gadeokdo New Airport, clarifying his previously ambiguous stance. This move is interpreted as a response to the fact that local public opinion is not as favorable to the People Power Party as expected.

On the 1st, Chairman Kim held an emergency committee meeting at the Busan City Party Office and said, "The People Power Party actively supports the construction of the Gadeokdo New Airport and will strive to ensure that the special airport law is passed with bipartisan agreement." He added, "The construction of the Gadeokdo New Airport will bring enormous employment and economic ripple effects. We will actively support the Expo hosting and new airport construction to proceed smoothly, making Busan a global economic city and a turning point for Busan's re-leap."

Chairman Kim also added, "Establishing stable air transportation is the top priority, considering the synergy effect of affordable maritime transport and rapid air transport."

Lee Jong-bae, Chairman of the Policy Committee, also said, "The People Power Party will approach the promotion of the Gadeokdo New Airport with sincerity," and "We will do our best to make Busan the world's top logistics and transportation city." Following the on-site emergency committee meeting, the People Power Party leadership also visited the planned site of the Gadeokdo New Airport.

This marks a shift from Chairman Kim's statement last month that "Busan's economy will not drastically change just by doing the Gadeokdo (New Airport)." On the 27th of last month, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized, "The Democratic Party is desperate ahead of the election and is trying to benefit by exploiting Busan citizens' belief that the economy will revive with Gadeokdo." Chairman Kim's remarks today seem aimed at reversing the negative impact such internal party views have on Busan's public opinion.

Busan has had a strong conservative color since former President Kim Young-sam's 'Three-Party Merger,' but recent public opinion polls in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (PK) show higher support for the Democratic Party. Additionally, Chairman Kim announced plans to consider constructing a Korea-Japan undersea tunnel connecting Gadeokdo and Kyushu, Japan. He said, "According to research, it is expected to have tremendous effects with a production inducement effect of 54.5 trillion won and an employment inducement effect of 450,000 people, with significantly less financial burden compared to Japan." He added, "We will enhance Busan's economic and strategic value as a logistics hub connecting the Eurasian continent and Japan."

Local lawmakers who have long advocated for the Gadeokdo New Airport and preliminary candidates for the Busan by-election breathed a sigh of relief. Ha Tae-kyung, Busan City Party Chairman, emphasized, "For Gadeokdo to succeed, people and goods must gather," and "We will ensure that what can gather does gather." At the 'People Power Party Busan Mayor Candidate Vision Storytelling Presentation (PT)' held in Busan on the 28th of last month, preliminary candidates for the Busan mayoral by-election, including former People Power Party lawmaker Park Min-sik, Dong-A University professor Park Hyung-joon, former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economy Park Seong-hoon, and former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju, unanimously expressed the necessity of the Gadeokdo New Airport.

Although there are concerns about friction with lawmakers based in Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK), Chairman Kim emphasized, "Since the People Power Party has agreed to proceed with the Gadeokdo New Airport, there is no need to discuss anything else."

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