TK New Airport Basic Plan Set for Official Announcement Within the Year

Official Inclusion of Dedicated Uiseong Cargo Terminal
A Signal for Uiseong to Emerge as a Regional Air Logistics Hub

The shadow of conflict, mistrust, and delays surrounding the TK New Airport is finally beginning to lift.

With the official inclusion of a dedicated cargo terminal-one of the core demands of Uiseong residents-in the basic plan, a pivotal turning point is opening up that will transform the landscape of regional air logistics.

The “Basic Plan for the Civilian Airport” of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport is expected to be finalized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation Policy Deliberation Committee in mid-December and officially announced by the end of the year.

The project, which had been stalled for an extended period, is now set to gain momentum with the official inclusion of a dedicated cargo terminal for Uiseong County, which was the most contentious issue.

On December 2, the Ministry of Economy and Finance reviewed and approved the “TK New Airport Civilian Airport Basic Plan Project Cost Revision,” which includes the additional construction of the Uiseong cargo terminal.

The budget of 66.7 billion won secured this year is also expected to be executed immediately upon the announcement of the basic plan.

The total project cost has been set at 2.6995 trillion won, an increase of 316 billion won from the previous 2.3835 trillion won. Adjustments were made to nine categories, including approximately 90 billion won for the development of the Uiseong cargo terminal site, as well as civil engineering, compensation, construction, and ancillary facility expenses.

The finalized basic plan will clearly specify the division of roles: Uiseong County will be responsible for the dedicated cargo aircraft terminal, while Gunwi County will handle the commercial belly cargo terminal for passenger aircraft.

This means that the institutional foundation has been secured for the creation of the air logistics and aircraft maintenance industrial complex being promoted by Uiseong County, effectively marking a decisive turning point for the development of the regional aviation industry.

Meanwhile, a system has also been established to ease the financial burden on Daegu City, the project implementer.

The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts adopted an opinion for the 2026 budget bill stating that “appropriate support measures should be sought to ensure the smooth progress of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport project.” The coordination was led by Assemblyman Park Hyungsoo, the opposition secretary of the committee.

The Uiseong cargo terminal was originally guaranteed in a joint agreement in 2020, but its exclusion during the 2023 preliminary feasibility study sparked strong opposition from Uiseong residents and Gyeongbuk Province residents. Public sentiment spread with complaints such as, “Gunwi is being handed over to Daegu City while Uiseong is left to bear only the noise,” and even claims emerged that the airport relocation should be nullified, resulting in a prolonged deadlock in the TK New Airport project.

Hyungsoo Park, Member of the National Assembly of the People Power Party (Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok, Uljin), visited the site immediately after the general election and worked in cooperation with Gyeongbuk Province and Uiseong County, holding over 100 consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of National Defense. As a result, in January of this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport agreed to include the Uiseong cargo terminal in the basic plan, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance subsequently pledged to review the adequacy of the design, providing a breakthrough.

Hyungsoo Park, Member of the National Assembly of the People Power Party (Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok, Uljin)

However, when the Korea Development Institute (KDI) expressed a negative opinion citing “insufficient air cargo demand,” the Ministry of Economy and Finance reversed its position and opposed the plan again. Nevertheless, Assemblyman Park strongly demanded a reconsideration, arguing that “an air logistics and maintenance industrial complex is impossible without a cargo terminal,” which led to a reversal in the situation.

Subsequently, in the local government cost-sharing plan based on “long-term demand as of 2060” proposed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Assemblyman Park requested that the local government’s cost-sharing ratio be adjusted to 10% (about 8 billion won). With Gyeongbuk Province and the Ministry of Economy and Finance ultimately accepting this, the negotiations on the project cost revision were concluded.

Assemblyman Park stated, “The official inclusion of the dedicated Uiseong cargo terminal in the basic plan after more than two years of long and painful negotiations was made possible by the strong aspirations of Uiseong residents,” adding, “I will do my utmost to secure connecting SOC such as roads and railways and to strengthen the foundation for Uiseong County’s air logistics and maintenance industry to ensure the success of the new airport.”

Once the TK New Airport basic plan is officially announced within this year, Uiseong County will be equipped to become the central hub of air logistics in the northeastern region, and the new airport construction is also expected to gain new momentum.

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