[Person人] Kim Kyung-wook, the Renowned 'Troubleshooter' at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Solves Incheon International Airport Corporation's Difficult Issues

Former Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Official, Kim Kyung-wook President of Incheon International Airport Corporation

Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] The keyword that runs through Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, is 'problem solver.' It is hard to disagree if you have met him even once. While serving as a bureaucrat at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, he was always at the center of urgent issues in the transportation sector. He prevented several instances where the public’s transportation was completely paralyzed due to strikes. He literally threw himself into stopping them. In 2018, when he was the Director General of the Transportation and Logistics Office at the Ministry, conflicts between the bus industry and the government over the introduction of the 52-hour workweek system reached a peak. An indefinite strike was imminent. The stakeholders concluded that 'there was no solution.' At that time, Director Kim unilaterally visited the National Federation of Automobile Workers' Unions (Jano-ryeon) and unexpectedly drank daytime alcohol with them. Although unintended, it became an unexpected pact and served as a turning point to open dialogue among labor, management, and government. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly to find a solution together. Thanks to concessions from both the bus union and the government, the crisis was resolved smoothly without a bus strike.

Recalling that time in an interview with this publication, President Kim said, "I realized anew how important dialogue and skinship between stakeholders are," adding, "The broader the scope of empathy, the more resistance and backlash subside, which is necessary to reach agreements or improve systems." He swiftly managed unexpected disasters such as the KTX train collision accident at Daegu Station, and also resolved the longest strike by the railway union during the introduction of a competitive railway system, leading to the launch of SRT while serving as Director General of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry.

Now, President Kim faces another test. Upon becoming the President of Incheon Airport Corporation, he had to resolve troublesome legacies left by his predecessor. The first is to complete the regular employment conversion process that triggered the so-called 'In-guk-gong incident.' The direct employment procedure for about 2,000 security screening personnel remains unfinished. President Kim repeatedly stated, "This is the most difficult problem, like a 10th-degree equation," and pledged, "I will definitely solve it by forming a prior consensus through sufficient dialogue." Besides employment stability, he plans to comprehensively review strengthening expertise and securing growth potential in preparation for the next 20 years as a new beginning to resolve the issue.

The second issue is resolving the unauthorized occupation of the Sky72 Golf Club by the existing operator on land owned by Incheon Airport Corporation. The land use period for the Sky72 Golf Course, located on Incheon Airport Corporation’s site, expired on December 31 last year, but the existing operator, Sky72 Golf & Resort, is still operating illegally, causing problems. The Incheon Metropolitan City, the administrative authority, has shown no will to resolve the issue and remains passive, so problem solver President Kim has taken a hardline stance. He is fighting alone against the social victim frame created by the existing operator, who earned billions of won in profits from golf course operations. (The existing operator staged a picket protest with caddies around the 20th anniversary of Incheon International Airport’s opening, but the new operator KMH Shilla Leisure has already repeatedly pledged 100% employment succession and is at the contract signing stage.) President Kim has held several behind-the-scenes talks with the existing operator, but they show no sign of backing down. It appears they have started a time-delaying tactic through lawsuits that could take years.

Following President Kim’s strategy to cut off the golf course’s business activities, Sky72 Golf Course will undergo water supply suspension starting April 1. Additional measures such as power cuts will be considered depending on the situation. President Kim plans to visit the site to ask for understanding from golf course users and hold a press conference. He is strongly urging Incheon City to cancel the registration of the sports facility business. He has decided to take all possible civil and criminal legal actions against the existing operator’s unauthorized occupation of public property and blatant pursuit of private interests. President Kim’s life philosophy is to respond strictly to illegal acts.

A bureaucrat acquaintance who has observed President Kim closely for a long time says there is nothing Kim cannot solve. Although he may seem harsh on the surface, he has repeatedly seen him tackle and resolve issues by throwing himself into them once he decides to settle them. In short, he is described as a 'fiery person.' It was also said that he has political ambitions and a sincere sense of justice, so he would do very well in politics. At Incheon International Airport Corporation, where numerous challenges lie ahead, the arrival of a 'problem solver who gets things done' has created an atmosphere of excitement amid tension. With the newly declared 2030+ vision marking the 20th anniversary of Incheon International Airport’s opening, the day when this vision is realized as hoped by employees seems not far off.

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