Environment ministry OKs new int'l airport on Jeju Island

• Published date: 06 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

The environment ministry has approved a proposal to construct a new international airport on Jeju Island, officials said Monday, after a yearslong conflict over the potential impact on the island's pristine natural environment.

In 2015, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the selection of a 5.45 million-square-meter lot in Seongsan on the southern resort island's eastern side as the site for the second airport.

After rejecting four previous environmental assessment reports, the Ministry of Environment has granted a conditional approval to the transport ministry's plan, saying the site has met the relevant requirement.

The proposal, however, still needs further evaluation by the provincial government of Jeju.

The ministry said the transport ministry's proposal has presented ways to protect local birds and their natural habitats. However, the ministry ordered a further explanation on how to secure the safety of airplanes from bird strikes.

The environment ministry also urged the land ministry to reflect the opinion of Jeju residents for potential cases of noise pollution coming from the planes in flight.

The environment ministry also presented a plan to migrate the island's two indigenous animals ? narrow-mouthed frogs and small cuckoos ? that are...