Daegu Airport Relocation Should Be Decided by Referendum...Civic Groups Say "20 Trillion Won Cost Will Ultimately Burden Citizens"

Press Conference Held on the 26th to Call for Action

As Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum and People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho, both running for Daegu mayor, have announced pledges to relocate Daegu Airport, civic groups are insisting that the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport Project must be put to a resident referendum.

Civic groups in the Daegu area stated that they will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on the 26th in front of the Dong-gu District Office in Dong-gu, Daegu, to urge a resident referendum on the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport.

Daegu International Airport

Through this press conference, civic organizations such as the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Headquarters for Local Decentralization Movement, Daegu Environmental Movement Association, and Daegu Women's Hotline will state, "The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport Project is not simply a matter of relocating an airport. It is a massive project that will require tens of trillions of won in fiscal expenditure and will transform the city's structure, industry, transportation systems, and the direction of citizens' lives." They will further assert, "However, this project has been pushed forward unilaterally under political slogans and rosy outlooks, without sufficient consent or verification from citizens."

The civic groups said, "Daegu City has so far promoted the integrated new airport as the future growth engine and new driving force of Daegu and the TK region. However, the reality now facing citizens is completely different. From the beginning, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport Project was promoted under the 'contribution and transfer' model. In other words, the plan was to cover the relocation costs with the profits earned from developing the current K-2 Air Base and Daegu International Airport sites."

The civic groups continued, "Private companies have in fact shunned participation in the project. The SPC (Special Purpose Company) formation pursued by Daegu City collapsed, and the reason was that the market judged that the profits from developing the old sites alone were not enough to cover the enormous relocation costs. Although Daegu City is still speaking of the project's feasibility, it has yet to secure the core funding."

The civic groups pointed out, "This year, the government's budget did not reflect either the Public Capital Management Fund loan or the financial cost support requested by Daegu City. Ultimately, the question of who will bear this enormous financial burden remains, and it is highly likely that it will fall on the citizens of Daegu. This is why a resident referendum is necessary."

Both the currently discussed public development model and the local bond issuance model are based on the assumption that the financial burden will fall on Daegu City. Daegu City has stated that at least 14 trillion won will be needed for the relocation of the military airport and the construction of the new civilian airport, but some analyses suggest that, in reality, more than 20 trillion won may be required when financial costs are included.

If the project proceeds through a Public Capital Management Fund loan or local bond issuance, Daegu City will also have to shoulder enormous interest payments, which alone are estimated to reach several trillion won.

The civic groups argued, "This is not a simple administrative project. It is directly tied to Daegu citizens' taxes, welfare, urban infrastructure, and the burden on future generations. Yet, citizens have not even been properly informed of the results of any thorough business feasibility review." They emphasized, "A mega-scale fiscal project without citizens' consent can never be legitimate."

The civic groups stated, "Daegu International Airport is currently one of the few city airports in the country, offering excellent accessibility as it is close to Dongdaegu Station and can be reached from downtown within 10 to 30 minutes. However, if relocated to Gunwi or Uiseong, travel to the airport could require over an hour one way, which would negatively affect business competitiveness, tourism, the MICE industry, corporate attraction, and citizen convenience."

The civic groups also remarked, "While there is talk of a global hub airport and a 24-hour airport, actual data shows that the integrated new airport will be structured primarily around the military air base, which means there are structural limitations to expanding civilian flight slots. Furthermore, blueprints for a cargo airport, MRO industry, and international hub airport have yet to demonstrate actual business feasibility or be sufficiently validated by the market." They called for a resident referendum, stating, "When it comes to fiscal projects worth tens of trillions of won, city-transforming projects, or projects that directly affect citizens' lives, it is only natural that there should be a direct consent procedure from citizens."

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