Muan International Airport Revitalization Promotion Committee Holds Protest Against Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hindering Airport Revitalization

Published 13 Sep.2021 14:00(KST)

Members of Muan-gun Prosperity Association and Social Groups Demand Immediate Withdrawal of the 6th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan

Members of social organizations such as the Muan International Airport Revitalization Promotion Committee and the Muan County Prosperity Association are issuing a statement. ⓒ Asia Economy

[Muan＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Oh Hwan-joo] Members of social organizations such as the Muan International Airport Revitalization Promotion Committee and the Muan-gun Prosperity Association announced a statement reflecting the will of the residents in front of Muan-gun Office on the 13th before the protest rally at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, urging the withdrawal of the 6th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan, and then went to Seoul to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Last month on the 19th, social organizations in Muan-gun issued a statement condemning the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in front of Muan-gun Office and delivered a statement reflecting the will of the residents to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Prime Minister's Office, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has only given a general response.

Therefore, they requested a meeting with the minister and vice minister to protest this, but since there was no response, they held a rally in Seoul at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to convey the will of the residents.

This protest rally at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was held to criticize the Ministry's policy, which easily reversed like turning the palm, stating that the timing of the integration and relocation of Muan International Airport and Gwangju Civil Airport, planned to be promoted as scheduled in the 3rd Basic Aviation Policy Plan announced by the Ministry in January last year, would be decided comprehensively considering the military airport relocation promotion status and regional opinions in the 6th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan to be announced in September.

Park Il-sang, chairman of the Muan International Airport Revitalization Promotion Committee, pointed out, “Although the relocation issues of Gwangju Civil Airport and the military airport are separate matters, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mentioning military airport promotion matters in the comprehensive airport development plan is an overreach.”

He also argued, “National projects led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, including the KTX route and runway extension project, which are being promoted with a huge budget exceeding 2.6 trillion won, have become useless and are a waste of budget,” and “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should not delay the integration of Muan-Gwangju Civil Airport any longer and must immediately implement it by 2021.”