Jeon Jaesoo: "A Bolt from the Blue under Yoon" vs. Park Hyungjoon: "Postponed under Lee"... New Airport Delay Dispute

Prelude to the Busan Mayoral Election

Debate Over the Reasons Behind the Postponement of Gadukdo New Airport Opening

Jeon Jaesoo, the Democratic Party candidate for Busan mayor, and Park Hyungjoon, the People Power Party candidate, exchanged criticism over the reasons behind the delay in the opening of the Gadeokdo New Airport in Busan. Jeon claimed, "It was a bolt from the blue during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration," while Park countered, "It was during the Lee Jaemyung administration that the rescheduled opening was postponed again."

Perspective view of Gadeokdo New Airport. The Asia Business Daily DB

On April 19, Park stated on his Facebook page, "The fact that Jeon is unable to grasp even the basic facts about such a major national project, which holds great significance for Busan’s future development and balanced national growth, is an admission that he either does not understand or is not interested in Busan’s key issues."

Previously, in an interview with Chosun Ilbo on April 17, Jeon criticized Park’s mayoral performance, saying, "He served as mayor twice, but since the direction was unclear, the past five years have been a period in which Busan lost its way and wandered." He added, "Although the Gadeokdo New Airport Special Act was passed during the Moon Jae-in administration, the opening of the new airport was postponed from the original 2029 to 2035 under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, catching citizens completely off guard."

Park explained, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, the plan for Gadeokdo New Airport involved building the entire airport, including the passenger terminal and runway, at sea, with the opening date set for the end of 2035. However, when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, in response to strong requests from Busan City, the plan was changed to build supporting facilities such as the passenger terminal on land and the runway at sea, advancing the airport opening to December 2029."

He continued, "It was the Lee Jaemyung administration that once again postponed the opening of the Gadeokdo New Airport, which had been brought forward through such efforts, back to 2035. Jeon Jaesoo should clarify how he will address his false public statements. An apology to the citizens of Busan is the minimum requirement," he said.

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