The Never-Ending Conflict: The Jeju Island Second Airport Dilemma

"30-Year Wish for 2nd Airport" vs "Reason for Environmental Conservation"
High Opposition Among Residents, but Seongsan-eup Supports

The Ministry of Environment has expressed a 'conditional agreement' opinion on the strategic environmental impact assessment of the Jeju Second Airport project, accelerating the project's progress, but opinions among Jeju residents remain sharply divided.

While voices condemning the government decision are emerging, saying "The Ministry of Environment has abandoned its raison d'?tre of environmental conservation," there are also considerable voices welcoming it, stating "The Second Airport is a 30-year-long wish of Jeju residents."

On the 6th, the Ministry of Environment announced that it had notified a conditional agreement opinion on the strategic environmental impact assessment report for the construction of Jeju Second Airport submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Jeju Second Airport construction project involves building a new airport with a 3,200m-long and 60m-wide runway on a 5,456,437㎡ area in Onpyeong-ri, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo City.

On November 1, 2019, at Sejongno Small Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, members of the Jeju 2nd Airport Emergency Residents' Association and civic groups held a press conference urging opposition to the construction of Jeju 2nd Airport. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The government holds the position that the capacity of Jeju International Airport is saturated and that the Second Airport is necessary to alleviate frequent aircraft delays and related inconveniences. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, that with the completion of consultations with the Ministry of Environment, it will disclose the basic plan for the Second Airport and, after collecting residents' opinions, officially announce the basic plan.

However, several hurdles remain before the actual construction of the Second Airport. After the basic plan is announced, another environmental impact assessment by Jeju Province must be conducted, and the consent of the Jeju Provincial Council must be obtained.

Above all, opposition among Jeju residents to the Second Airport construction project is high. Since the project was first discussed in 1990 when the Ministry of Transportation conducted a feasibility study for a new international airport in the Jeju area, every attempt to promote the project in the political arena has repeatedly faced resistance.

Regarding the Ministry of Environment's recent agreement decision, public opinion among Jeju residents is once again boiling over. The Emergency Citizens' Council to Stop the Forced Construction of Jeju Second Airport issued an urgent statement saying, "The Ministry of Environment's decision to pass the strategic environmental impact assessment is tantamount to self-destruction of its raison d'?tre of environmental conservation," and criticized, "Following the Seoraksan Cable Car, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's reckless land development is now fully underway with the Jeju Second Airport."

They continued, "There has been no change in the environmental conditions of the Second Airport site between 2021, when the Ministry of Environment rejected the strategic environmental impact assessment, and 2023," emphasizing, "No solution has emerged to preserve bird habitats while relocating birds to resolve bird collision issues, nor has the value of the sinkholes and lava caves diminished."

They added, "The construction of the Second Airport is a matter that significantly affects the lives and future of Jeju residents and should be decided by the residents themselves," urging, "Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon should demand a residents' referendum on the Second Airport from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to exercise residents' decision-making rights."

In public opinion surveys targeting all Jeju residents, opposition to the Second Airport project was high. According to a 2021 survey by Gallup Korea of Jeju residents (2,019 people aged 19 and older), 44.1% supported and 47.0% opposed the project. In a survey by Embrain Public (2,000 people aged 19 and older), support was 43.8% and opposition 51.1%.

On the other hand, residents of Seongsan-eup showed strong support for the Second Airport project. In a Gallup Korea survey of Seongsan-eup residents (504 people), 64.9% supported and 31.4% opposed, and in an Embrain Public survey (500 people), 65.6% supported and 33% opposed. This indicates that opinions on the Second Airport are divided according to regional interests.

The Second Airport Seongsan-eup Promotion Committee, a pro-Second Airport group, issued a statement on the 7th saying, "The Second Airport is a 30-year wish of Jeju residents," and "National projects cannot be decided by residents' referendums. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should announce the basic plan for the Second Airport construction and proceed with normal procedures."

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