During the presidential election, Lee Jae-myung advocated for 'preserving Gimpo Airport'... a pledge reversed in the National Assembly election

Lee Jae-myung and Song Young-gil "Gimpo Airport Relocation" Pledge Final Controversy
Gyeonggi Candidates' "Seoul Airport Relocation" Pledge Also Conflicts
Yoon Ho-jung "Not Party Pledge, Will Decide After Local Voting"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election, announced the "Subway Line 9 Gyeyang Extension Pledge" near the Gimpo Urban Railway Depot in Gyeyang-gu on the 29th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The pledge to relocate Gimpo Airport by Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate running for the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election, and Song Young-gil, the same party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, has emerged as a key issue in the final stages of the local elections. The pledge aims to resolve damages caused by noise and development restrictions, but it has sparked heated debates as it could lead to harm in other regions, such as the contraction of Jeju’s tourism industry. In particular, Lee previously advocated for preserving Gimpo Airport during the last presidential election, leading to criticism that he is reversing his pledge depending on electoral advantages.

The Gimpo Airport relocation pledge was first mentioned on the 27th during a policy agreement between Lee and Song Young-gil, the Democratic Party’s Seoul mayoral candidate. The core of the pledge is to relocate Gimpo Airport and develop the western metropolitan area including Incheon, Gimpo, and Seoul’s Gangseo district. On the 29th, Lee held a press conference near the Seoul Subway Line 9 vehicle depot in Sangya-dong, Gyeyang-gu, stating, "If Gimpo Airport is relocated and integrated with Incheon Airport, the Yeongjong Free Economic Zone can significantly expand the scale of the airport economic zone," adding, "(Gyeyang-gu) has endured special sacrifices due to various regulations, so now appropriate compensation should be provided. By relocating Gimpo Airport, which causes noise and underdevelopment, we will complete the development of Gyeyang, Incheon, and the western metropolitan area."

Regarding concerns that integrating Gimpo Airport, which is valued for its proximity to downtown Seoul, with Incheon Airport might inconvenience domestic flight users, he explained, "If we promptly promote the express service on the Airport Railroad and swiftly construct the metropolitan wide-area express rail (GTX) D and Y lines, access from Seoul to Incheon Airport will be faster."

Song Young-gil, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, is visiting Buk Seoul Dream Forest in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul on the 29th, appealing for support. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

However, Democratic Party lawmakers from Jeju expressed doubts about the feasibility of the pledge and opposed it. On the 28th, Jeju Governor candidate Oh Young-hoon and lawmakers Song Jae-ho and Wi Seong-gon held a joint press conference to officially oppose it. Oh said, "The Gimpo Airport relocation pledge was advocated by candidate Song during the presidential election process, but it was deemed inappropriate during discussions and thus was not included in the party’s official pledges," adding, "While the Lee Jae-myung and Song Young-gil camps can announce policies for their own constituencies, party policies must go through procedural steps to be adopted."

There were also criticisms that the Gimpo Airport relocation pledge conflicts with pledges made by Democratic candidates running for metropolitan government heads and other constituencies. On the 26th, Gyeonggi Province Governor candidate Kim Dong-yeon, Seongnam Mayor candidate Bae Guk-hwan, and Gyeonggi Bundang-gap candidate Kim Byung-kwan held a press conference announcing their shared intention to relocate Seongnam Seoul Airport. Bae said that day, "We have long advocated for relocating Seongnam Airport, but the issue is implementation," adding, "The U.S. military has all moved to Pyeongtaek, and the president can use Gimpo Airport."

Lee also advocated for preserving Gimpo Airport when he ran in the last presidential election. In January, at the Poil Eoullim Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, he announced a housing supply plan, stating, "I judged that it is possible to supply 200,000 housing units while preserving Gimpo Airport through surrounding green spaces and idle land." This has led to criticism that Lee hastily made the pledge without thorough feasibility review, depending on electoral advantages. The pledge conflicts with those of other candidates from the same party and was publicized late in the election, raising accusations of electioneering populism.

The ruling party has intensified criticism, arguing that relocating Gimpo Airport would damage Jeju’s tourism industry. On the 29th, at a Central Election Committee field meeting held in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, said, "The opposition continues to throw out incoherent pledges. Candidates Song Young-gil and Lee Jae-myung say they will close Gimpo Airport and have Seoul citizens use Cheongju and Wonju airports, while candidate Oh Young-hoon argues that the pledge was made without any consultation and is reckless. Candidate Kim Dong-yeon says the Seoul Airport functions should be moved to Gimpo Airport," adding, "No matter how you analyze it, two of these four people are either liars or just spouting nonsense."

Regarding the Gimpo Airport relocation pledge, the Democratic Party leadership stated that "there has been no consultation with the party." On the 29th, Yoon Ho-jung, co-chair of the Emergency Response Committee, said, "The Gimpo Airport relocation is not a central party pledge but a pledge by candidates running in local constituencies," adding, "There are differences of opinion among our candidates depending on the region. We plan to make a final decision after seeing which regions support our party."