Joint Statement Released: "A Message to City and Provincial Residents After Completing the Resident Referendum"
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Yoseop] Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, and Kwon Young-jin, Mayor of Daegu, expressed their positions and presented future plans regarding the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport residents' referendum.
In a statement titled "A Message to the Citizens after the Residents' Referendum" on the 22nd, Governor Lee and Mayor Kwon appealed, "There may be some who feel regret over the results of the residents' referendum for selecting the site of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, but we ask you to humbly accept it with the heart of writing a new history for Daegu and Gyeongbuk together."
As Gunwi County in Gyeongbuk applied to host the 'Gunwi Ubo' area regardless of the residents' referendum results on the 21st concerning the relocation project of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, making the relocation project itself uncertain, Governor Lee and Mayor Kwon held a meeting on the 22nd at Daegu City Hall's reception room to resolve controversies arising during the site selection process.
They stated, "The final relocation site will be confirmed soon through procedures such as the hosting application and the review and resolution by the Relocation Site Selection Committee (Ministry of National Defense). Once the final relocation site is confirmed, we will proceed with related procedures such as establishing the basic plan and preparing to select a private business operator."
They also expressed their determination, saying, "We will build connecting transportation networks such as roads and railways to make airport use convenient not only for Daegu and Gyeongbuk but also for neighboring cities and provinces. We will promote access to the new airport within 30 to 40 minutes from Daegu and within one hour from cities and counties in Gyeongbuk."
In particular, they promised, "We will hold an international idea contest this year to transform the former site (K-2 rear site) into a world-class premium city, and we will widely collect opinions from experts and citizens to prepare a concrete development plan."
Governor Lee and Mayor Kwon said, "Now we have taken the first step toward a path we have never walked before. A new history of Daegu and Gyeongbuk will begin, and by 2026, the skies of Daegu and Gyeongbuk will open further and to the world. As the saying goes, if you go alone, it is just a simple path, but if you go together, it becomes history. We sincerely ask all citizens of the city and province to unite with one heart on this great historical path."
On the 22nd, at the reception room of Daegu City Hall, Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province (right), and Kwon Young-jin, Mayor of Daegu, are answering reporters' questions before discussing the results of the integrated new airport relocation site and future promotion plans. (Photo by Gyeongbuk Province)
Originally, a four-party joint press conference with the Mayor of Daegu, Governor of Gyeongbuk, and the Mayors of Uiseong and Gunwi counties was scheduled for the day but was canceled.
Kim Young-man, Mayor of Gunwi County, submitted an application to the Ministry of National Defense to host the relocation site in the 'Ubo' area, the sole candidate site, effectively not accepting the residents' referendum results.
Kim Joo-soo, Mayor of Uiseong County, also submitted an application to the Ministry of National Defense to host the relocation site in the 'Bian-Sobo' area, the joint candidate site that received the highest score according to the residents' referendum results.
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