Ruling Party Raises 'TK New Airport Theory' Amid North Korea Drone Incident

Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, "A New Central Airport in the Rear for the Central-Southern Region"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Amid the commotion caused by a North Korean drone's intrusion into South Korean airspace, which breached Seoul's air defense system and halted aircraft takeoffs at Incheon and Gimpo Airports, key figures in the ruling party have proposed various countermeasures.

Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party and former chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, raised his voice for revising the law banning anti-North Korea leaflets, while Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu, argued for the necessity of the TK New Airport.

On the 26th, Mayor Hong stated via social media (SNS), "A single North Korean drone caused the suspension of aircraft takeoffs at Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport for 48 minutes. If this were wartime, within 30 minutes, North Korea's long-range artillery would neutralize Incheon and Gimpo Airports, effectively blocking South Korea's air routes." He added, "Even so, are we going to refuse to build a new central airport in the mid-southern rear area?"

The TK New Airport is a long-standing project in the TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) region, a stronghold of the ruling party. President Yoon Suk-yeol also promised its construction during his candidacy when visiting the area, but the special law remains pending in the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's subcommittee. The People Power Party is not pushing it as a party agenda, so the momentum for advancement is weak.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, Mayor Hong personally emphasized the security necessity of the TK New Airport. He said, "The TK New Airport will become a pillar of national security and help achieve balanced national development by dispersing passenger and air cargo traffic in South Korea. I urge the National Assembly not to delay any further and to promptly pass the TK New Airport Special Act."

However, since North Korea can send drones even to the Gyeongbuk region, which is distant from the frontline, the TK New Airport is not immune to being neutralized by drones. The existence of a North Korean drone that flew to the US Forces Korea THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) base in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, in June 2017 and photographed the facilities attests to this.

There are also calls to respond to North Korea's drone provocations with retaliatory measures such as resuming loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the North. Yoon, who formerly chaired the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, argued, "In response to North Korea's intent to unsettle and exhaust us, we need retaliatory measures that North Korea finds difficult and detests."

Yoon said, "We should revise the law banning anti-North Korea leaflets, enacted during the Moon Jae-in administration, to respond in ways that hurt North Korea the most, such as resuming loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflet drops."

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