Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport Relocation 'Catastrophe Predicted' … Gunwi County Mayor "Will Enforce Legally"

Ministry of National Defense Announces "Automatic Disqualification Without Joint Hosting Application"
Gunwi County Governor States at Press Conference, "We Will Uphold Residents' Will Through Litigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The Ministry of National Defense announced that if there is no joint application for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport at the joint candidate sites (Uiseong Bian and Gunwi Sobo) by the end of July, it will make an 'automatic disqualification' decision. In response, Kim Young-man, the Gunwi County Governor, declared a 'legal response' policy.

This bombshell statement came amid Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province and Mayor Kwon Young-jin of Daegu City pledging to make a final effort to persuade regarding the joint candidate sites, spreading a sense of pessimism that the efforts to select the relocation site for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport will ultimately be in vain.

On the afternoon of the 6th, Gunwi County Governor Kim Young-man announced a 'New Integrated Airport Statement' at a press conference held in the county office's main conference room, saying, "It has been four years since we have been dedicated to relocating the new airport, but we have yet to see any results," and raised his voice, "We will resolve the grievances of the residents through legal litigation and enforce the will of the residents."

Governor Kim stated, "In the airport attraction competition, Gunwi County was often ignored as just a small local government, and at times, we were outraged by the humiliation," adding, "We have swallowed all of this to build the new airport so that our descendants will never inherit such humiliation again."

He continued, "The sole candidate site, Ubo, has a population of 3.53 million within a 50 km radius, which is twice the 1.69 million of the joint candidate sites, as well as the distance to Daegu City, which is the basis for the activation of the civil airport," emphasizing its justification. "The number of foggy days, which is most important for flight safety, is only 5 days, which is a whopping 11 times less than the 58.8 days at the joint candidate sites."

He placed all responsibility on the Ministry of National Defense, Daegu City, and Gyeongbuk Province, expressing dissatisfaction by pointing out, "The responsibility for the deadlock in the new airport project lies with the Ministry of National Defense, the proposal to exclude Ubo was made by Gyeongbuk Province, and the extension for the joint candidate sites until the end of July was made by Daegu City."

Governor Kim appealed for the support of the residents, saying, "Even the mediation plan they brought to persuade our residents was confirmed through their own words to be outside their authority and within the realm of experts through services and design, which destroyed trust," and "I and about 500 public officials deeply feel responsible for the situation reaching this point, and we will definitely win this fight."

Meanwhile, on the 3rd, the Ministry of National Defense held the 6th Daegu Military Airport Relocation Site Selection Committee and announced, "The Uiseong Bian and Gunwi Sobo areas (joint candidate sites) are disqualified because the Gunwi County Governor did not apply for the Sobo area, failing to meet the selection procedures. However, the suitability judgment will be deferred until July 31," and "It was resolved that if there is no joint application during the deferral period, an automatic disqualification decision will be made."