Director of the Maritime Affairs Bureau Vows "Strong Measures to Prevent Complaints with the Consultative Body"
Changwon City announced at a press conference held at the City Hall Press Center on the 27th that it has received an official statement from Busan Port Authority confirming that there are "no plans to berth barges" related to the construction of the Jinhae New Port small vessel pier. (Photo by Changwon City)
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Choi Hyun-joo] Changwon City in Gyeongnam announced on the 27th that it received a firm confirmation from the Busan Port Construction Office, the project implementer, stating that "there are no plans to berth barges" in relation to the construction of the small vessel pier at Busan New Port being built in the Angol-dong area of Jinhae-gu.
Kim Seong-ho, Director of the Marine Port and Fisheries Bureau of Changwon City, along with Jinhae Fisheries Cooperative and Uichang Fisheries Cooperative, held a press conference at the city hall press center on the same day, stating, "The small vessel pier area is part of the New Port region, which will emerge as a logistics hub in Northeast Asia through the development of the Mega Port. It is an area of interest that will become a future growth engine and source of livelihood, but it is also a region where concerns about damage to local residents due to development exist."
According to the city, the "Busan New Port Small Vessel Pier Construction Project" consists of one set of small vessel pier construction, including a 590m main quay, three piers, dredging, and one set of auxiliary works.
The location is in Angol-dong 839, Jinhae-gu, spanning from Ungcheon Bridge to Angol Bridge. The project implementer is the Busan Port Construction Office, the construction period is from February last year to October 2021, and the total project cost is 37.1 billion KRW. As of this month, the progress rate is about 31%.
Regarding claims by members of the Future United Party in the city council that barges were intended to be berthed, the city formally inquired with the Busan Port Construction Office on the 16th and 17th about the veracity of barge berthing. It was confirmed that the small vessel pier construction project is an expansion of mooring facilities and does not include plans for barge berthing.
As evidence, the city conveyed that on the 21st, it received an official document confirming that the Busan New Port Small Vessel Pier Construction Project is an expansion of mooring facilities due to increased demand for small vessels such as government vessels at Busan New Port, with a required capacity of 40 government and service vessels and 42 refueling and water supply vessels, confirming that there are no plans for barge berthing.
Director Kim stated, "We strongly urge the Busan Port Construction Office and Busan Port Authority to ensure that future construction progress and operations are conducted in prior consultation with Changwon City, Jinhae Fisheries Cooperative, and Uichang Fisheries Cooperative to prevent any civil complaints."
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