Final Report on Gadeokdo New Airport SATA Service... Gyeongnam Province's Plan 100% Reflected

Decision on Exemption from Preliminary Feasibility Study to be Made at Ministry of Economy and Finance's Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee on the 29th

New Airport to be Accessible Within 1 Hour, Development of Air Cities in Changwon, Gimhae, and

Map showing the development plan and transportation network of Gadeokdo New Airport.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The access transportation network plan and the hinterland city concept for Gadeokdo New Airport proposed by Gyeongsangnam-do have been included in the final report of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's preliminary feasibility study.

Gyeongsangnam-do announced that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently completed the preliminary feasibility study for the construction of Gadeokdo New Airport, and that the plans conceived by the province were included.

The concept includes the Changwon area centered on a port logistics and machinery specialized complex, the Gimhae area focused on an advanced and integrated logistics city, and the Geoje area centered on marine leisure, tourism, recreation, and business, forming an 'Air City' plan.

The results of the preliminary feasibility study were confirmed as a national policy project through the Cabinet meeting on the 26th, and the decision on whether to exempt the preliminary feasibility investigation for Gadeokdo New Airport is expected to be made at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's fiscal project evaluation committee scheduled for the 29th.

The province stated that it consistently proposed that Gyeongsangnam-do's conceptual projects be reflected in the preliminary feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport from May last year to April this year, and that all were included in the final report.

These include plans to expand the access transportation network within the province to enable residents to conveniently use the new airport, and the Air City development concept for constructing a logistics hub hinterland city linked with the new airport and new port.

The Gyeongsangnam-do planned projects included in the preliminary feasibility study report are the 'new construction and improvement of road and railway lines and the hinterland city (Air City) development concept.'

These consist of six access transportation network plans, including the construction of a high-speed railway between Dongdaegu and Changwon, extension of the Southern Inland Railway from Geoje to Gadeokdo New Airport, and the maritime section of National Route 5 between Geoje and Masan, aiming to enable residents to access the new airport and new port within one hour.

An official from the province said, "Only if the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reflects these plans in the legally mandated airport master plan can the project be implemented nationally and receive national funding," adding, "We will focus administrative efforts to ensure that the new airport connection transportation network plan and hinterland city development plan are incorporated into the airport master plan."

Gyeongsangnam-do is currently working on revising the Gadeokdo New Airport Special Act to secure development land for the Northeast Asia logistics hub hinterland city (Air City) and to expand the scope of projects eligible for financial support.

They explained that Gadeokdo New Airport has the unique geographical characteristic of being Korea's first offshore airport, and if the surrounding development area is applied within the current legal radius of 10 km, 85% of it would be marine area, resulting in an absolute shortage of development land.

The province plans to communicate the necessity of expanding the radius to 20 km to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Assembly, aiming to lead legislative amendments, and will also establish a development concept for the new airport hinterland city in preparation for the legal revision.

Yoon In-guk, Director of the Future Strategy Bureau, said, "Gadeokdo New Airport will be a gateway airport and economic airport for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do (Bu-Ul-Gyeong), capable of handling passengers and cargo smoothly 24 hours a day," adding, "We will do our best to improve accessibility so that residents can conveniently use it, and to develop the hinterland area linked with Jinhae New Port so that Gyeongsangnam-do can grow into a Northeast Asia logistics hub."