Lee Jae-myung on 'Closure of Gimpo Airport Domestic Flights'... Lee Jun-seok "Withdraw Wrong Pledges"

Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayoral candidate Song Young-gil handed the microphone to Lee Jae-myung, the National Assembly candidate for Gyeyang-eul, Incheon, at the 'Gimpo Airport Relocation and Western Seoul Metropolitan Area Major Development Policy Agreement' ceremony held on the 27th at the waterfront square in front of Ara Gimpo Passenger Terminal Aramarin Center, Gochon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate running in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election for the National Assembly, proposed the pledge to relocate Gimpo Airport and abolish domestic flights, while Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, criticized it as nonsense.

On the morning of the 27th, Lee held a press conference with Seoul mayoral candidate Song Young-gil at the waterfront cultural square of the Gyeongin Ara Waterway Aramarine Center, stating, "The western metropolitan area including Gyeyang-gu, Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, and Gangseo in Seoul has suffered property rights damage due to height restrictions around Gimpo Airport and has not been guaranteed environmental rights due to airplane noise. It is time for a change."

Lee announced plans to relocate and integrate Gimpo Airport into Incheon Airport, transform Seoul's Gangseo into a second Gangnam, and make Incheon Gyeyang a second Pangyo.

He explained, "Ahead of the carbon-neutral era, the French National Assembly passed a bill banning short-distance domestic air travel, reflecting a global trend toward abolishing domestic flights," adding, "The carbon emissions per kilometer of airplanes are 20 times higher than those of trains."

In the candidate debate aired on the 26th, Lee also said, "A new era will come where airplanes will no longer taxi but take off and land vertically," and added, "We must prepare for this situation and start large-scale development now by preparing for the relocation of Gimpo Airport to adapt to the new aviation era."

People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok (right) and Yoon Hyung-sun, a candidate running in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election, are appealing for support from citizens in the food alley near Gyeyang District Office in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 26th. / Photo by Yonhap News

In response, Lee Jun-seok posted on his social media, "Lee Jae-myung is helping the Jeju Island election like this," and sharply criticized, "I don't understand why he suddenly declares an idea to kill Jeju's tourism industry in the Gyeyang election, but he must really be out of his mind."

He continued, "Domestic companies are already making efforts to establish Gimpo Airport as a UAM (Urban Air Mobility) hub, and an airport with excellent urban accessibility is important for business passengers."

Lee Jun-seok also criticized Lee Jae-myung's mention of vertical take-off and landing. He said, "Vertical Take-off and Vertical Landing (VTOL) passenger aircraft have not been produced by Boeing or Airbus. It is a method used for combat purposes despite inefficient fuel consumption," and added, "Since VTOL passenger aircraft have not been developed, I don't know when the airport relocation is supposed to happen."

He further stated, "Lee said that integrating Gimpo Airport into Incheon Airport would suffice, so why bring up environmental issues in the first place?" and added, "If the same planes take off from Gimpo, it affects the environment; if they take off from Incheon, does that mean no carbon dioxide is emitted? It is better to quickly withdraw this pledge based on a misunderstanding of the situation."