"Ruling and Opposition Parties, Just Keep Your Promises" Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Business Community United for February Passage of 'Gadeok New Airport Special Act'

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[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The business communities of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam have united to issue a statement urging the promotion of the Gadeok New Airport.

The Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Heo Yong-do) announced on the 16th, through a joint statement with the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Jeon Young-do) and the Gyeongsangnam-do Chamber of Commerce and Industry Council (Chairman Gu Ja-cheon), calling for the enactment of the Gadeok New Airport Special Act during the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

The Busan Chamber explained that the ruling and opposition parties have officially adopted the construction of Gadeok New Airport as their party policy, and in response to recent negative reactions from some politicians and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region regarding the 'Gadeok New Airport Special Act' currently under review by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, the business communities of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam express a unified opinion on the construction of Gadeok New Airport through this joint statement and strongly urge its passage in the February extraordinary session.

In the joint statement, the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam business communities stated that with warning signs lit due to job losses and accelerated youth outflow, it is essential to leverage the strengths of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam economic belt by promptly constructing Gadeok New Airport to overcome these challenges.

As Gadeok New Airport is a key infrastructure that can drive Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam into a Northeast Asia integrated logistics hub by combining Busan New Port and the Eurasia Railway, the businesspeople of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam foresee it playing a significant role in fostering high value-added industries and attracting advanced companies, which are currently lacking in the region.

They also anticipated that, given that 96% of Yeongnam region's air logistics are currently handled through Incheon Airport, the airport will greatly help reduce the economic burden on local companies who are incurring substantial additional costs and time.

They emphasized that the successful hosting of the 2030 Busan World Expo, a national project, and the national balanced development aimed at reducing the gap between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas make the normal opening of Gadeok New Airport in 2029 essential.

They also conveyed the position that the Gadeok New Airport Special Act, being a matter promised by the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties, must be passed during the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

Regarding the opposition from Daegu-Gyeongbuk and some politicians to the Gadeok New Airport Special Act, they stated that Daegu-Gyeongbuk should build the integrated new airport and Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam should build Gadeok New Airport according to each region's purpose, seeking synergy between the two zones, and requested that all parties board the train of coexistence for the development of the entire Yeongnam region.

Heo Yong-do, chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “The passage of the Gadeok New Airport Special Act in the February National Assembly session is already a matter officially confirmed and promised by the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties, and we expect it to be passed as scheduled regardless of the April by-election schedule.”

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