"Gwangju Chamber Urges Swift Relocation of Military Airport at Democratic Party Policy Meeting"

Han Sangwon, Chairman of the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Establishing the RE100 Industrial Complex
"Relocation of the Gwangju Military Airport Must Be Led by the Government," He Asserts

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently attended a policy meeting hosted by the Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae at the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where they proposed key regional issues. Photo by Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on September 10 that it recently attended a policy meeting hosted by Democratic Party of Korea leader Jeong Cheongrae at the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where it proposed key regional issues.

This meeting, organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was held to strengthen communication between the business community and political leaders ahead of full-scale legislative discussions during the regular National Assembly session. From the Democratic Party of Korea, the leadership in attendance included party leader Jeong Cheongrae, Supreme Council member Lee Eonju, Policy Committee Chair Han Jeongae, and Secretary Kim Wonyi. From the business sector, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, chairpersons of major chambers of commerce nationwide, and executives from leading companies participated.

Han Sangwon, Chairman of the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, raised two regional issues during the closed-door meeting: corporate proposals regarding the establishment of an RE100 industrial complex and the relocation of the Gwangju military airport.

Regarding the establishment of the RE100 industrial complex, Chairman Han emphasized, "As the government is pushing the RE100 industrial complex as a key national policy, there are high expectations from the local business community. The initiative should not remain as a system no different from existing special zones; it must become a new testing ground that boldly innovates regulations."

He continued, "We need to create a platform where we can simultaneously experiment with previously blocked regulations, such as dramatic reductions in renewable energy prices, the introduction of a negative regulatory system, inheritance tax relief, and corporate tax cuts. The 'Special Act on Designation and Establishment of RE100 Industrial Complexes,' currently under discussion in the National Assembly, must be passed during this regular session."

Chairman Han also called for the swift advancement of the Gwangju military airport relocation. He pointed out, "For decades, the Gwangju military airport has imposed significant constraints on residents' lives and urban development due to noise, height restrictions, and obstacles to investment. However, the current donation-for-compensation method places an excessive burden on local governments, making it practically unfeasible."

He stated, "The limitations of this approach have already been revealed in the case of the Daegu military airport. Given that the Busan Gadeokdo New Airport is being pursued with full government funding, the relocation of the Gwangju military airport must also be implemented as a government-funded project."

He further explained that the Gwangju military airport functions more as a pilot training base than as a combat flight unit. Citing the fact that about 97% of the 9,100 takeoffs from the site last year were for training purposes, he suggested that the possibility of relocating the military flight training center overseas should be considered.

Chairman Han added, "Many countries are already conducting pilot training at overseas specialized centers, and this was also reviewed as a national policy task during the Lee Myung-bak administration. In addition, considering the longstanding sacrifices of Gwangju citizens, I request that the current military airport site be transferred to the city of Gwangju free of charge."

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