Jeju's 2nd airport project still faces opposition

• Published date: 07 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Despite the environment ministry's conditional approval of a plan to build a second airport on Jeju Island, the already long-delayed project still seems to have a long way to go before construction begins due to unceasing protests from those accusing the ministry of giving up on its primary role of preserving the country's natural environment.

Ever since the plan was first proposed in 1990, opening another international airport for the global tourism hotspot has been a hot-button issue.

One of the conditions set by the ministry is that local residents' complaints and requests should be taken fully into account in planning the project. Other conditions included resolving the issues of preserving natural habitats for birds and narrow-mouth frogs on the island and conducting thorough studies on the possibility of noise pollution and damaging the island's unique groundwater with high mineral concentrations.

Rep. Sim Sang-jeung of Justice Party speaks during a rally hosted by a civic group in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, June 16, 2021, against the central government's plan to introduce a second airport on Jeju Island. The placard below Rep. Sim reads 'Cancel the plan for a new airport on Jeju!!' Korea Times file

Environment Minister Han Wha-jin talks to officials at the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Environment

"We cannot agree on the environment ministry's decision that lacks scientific explanations and was politically motivated," a group of Jeju residents said in a statement issued Monday. "Nothing on the island has changed since 2021 when the environment ministry rejected the airport proposal by the land ministry. The reason for the rejection was simple: environmental damage from the new airport will not be restored by human efforts no matter how advanced the technologies are. We haven't seen any efforts by the government to prevent that expected degradation."

The group said the project's fate should be decided by the island's residents. They demanded that Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon hold a local poll and let the result speak for itself.

Another civic group protesting the project said the new airport will push ahead a series of excessive urban development projects across the island, causing land prices to spike and deplete groundwater resources.

"Since the new airport will put many local islanders' lives at stake, they should be the ones deciding whether to OK the project or not," the...