Democratic Party: "Yoon, Don't You Even Know the Gadeokdo Special Act Passed?"... Opposition: "Current Law Is Conditional" Rebuttal (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, promised to exempt the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the Gadeokdo New Airport as a presidential pledge for the Busan region. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, responded by saying, "The PFS has already been exempted."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 16th, Lee posted on social media (SNS) an article introducing Yoon's Busan pledge announcement from the previous day, stating, "It is Candidate Yoon who is dividing the youth, and the Gadeok New Airport has already been exempted from the PFS."

Earlier, Song Young-gil, the leader of the Democratic Party, also said on SNS, "Yesterday (the 15th), Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol said in Busan that he would 'boldly exempt the preliminary feasibility study for the Gadeokdo New Airport.' But what can we do? The special law exempting the PFS for the Gadeokdo New Airport already passed the National Assembly last year."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Du-kwan also criticized, "The People Power Party, who told the presidential candidates to 'just delay as instructed,' now can't even get the script right, which is really a big problem." He added, "The fact that the Gadeokdo New Airport Act already includes a PFS exemption clause is something anyone with even a little interest in Gadeokdo would know immediately." He continued, "At this point, both the actors and the script are problematic, so I hope you deeply reconsider whether you should bring back scriptwriter Kim Jong-in."

Earlier, Candidate Yoon stated at the Victory Resolution Rally of the Election Committee held at the Busan City Party Headquarters, "If we are going to start the Gadeokdo New Airport anyway, we will boldly exempt the PFS." Article 7 of the 'Special Act for the Construction of Gadeokdo New Airport,' which passed the National Assembly in February last year, includes the provision that "the Minister of Strategy and Finance may exempt the PFS."

Regarding this, Jang Soon-chil, deputy spokesperson of the People Power Party's election headquarters, explained, "Candidate Yoon's (yesterday) remarks reaffirm his will to make Busan a new national development growth axis and a key hub of economic development equivalent to the metropolitan area," adding, "(The current law) leaned toward symbolically declaring the will and preparing related regulations, and Article 7 was established as it is. The reason the legal text states 'may exempt' rather than 'shall exempt' is because it is a declarative provision."

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae told this outlet in a phone interview, "The current law has a conditional exemption clause," and added, "Before criticizing others, Leader Song and other Democratic Party lawmakers should first verify the facts."