The Hot Issue of 'Suwon Military Airport Relocation' Ahead of the 22nd National Assembly

Song Okju, Democratic Party Lawmaker, Hosts National Assembly Forum
"Claiming Increased Semiconductor Exports Means Airport Needed Is a Mistake"

As the 22nd National Assembly convenes, conflicts between Suwon and Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province over the relocation of the military airport are expected to escalate.

On the 20th, Song Ok-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Hwaseong Gap), held a policy forum titled "Seeking a Win-Win Solution for the Relocation of Suwon Military Airport" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building and expressed opposition to relocating Suwon Military Airport to Hwaseong.

At the policy forum titled 'Seeking Win-Win Solutions for the Relocation of Suwon Air Base' held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, participants including Song Ok-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, are taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Song Ok-ju's Office]

At the forum, rebuttals were raised against the claims from Suwon's political circles that, with the expansion of the semiconductor industry in southern Gyeonggi, an international airport including the military airport relocation to Hwaseong should be established to serve as an export hub.

Attending the forum, Koo Kyo-hoon, president of the Korea International Logistics Association, pointed out, "There may be errors in the prediction that demand for airport cargo transport will increase simply because semiconductor exports rise," adding, "Future transport demand for various items suitable for air transport needs to be investigated and forecasted more precisely."

Regarding the claim that "more airport capacity is needed as semiconductor exports increase," President Koo rebutted, "Although air cargo export value increased by 59.4% compared to ten years ago in 2020, the air cargo volume by weight actually decreased by 13.1%," emphasizing, "The necessity of airport construction depends not on cargo value but on volume and weight."

The forum is analyzed as a strategic move to check Suwon City's recent legislative public opinion campaign for the military airport relocation. Earlier, on the 9th, Suwon City delivered a petition to the elected representatives of Suwon in the 22nd National Assembly, requesting the enactment of a "Special Act on Supporting the Relocation of Suwon Military Airport."

This bill includes relocating the existing Suwon military airport to another area and expanding it into an international airport for the southern Gyeonggi region, while developing an advanced industrial complex on the current military airport site. In November last year, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo proposed the related bill. Since then, residents of Hwaseong, the proposed relocation site, have strongly opposed it, intensifying conflicts between the two regions.

Meanwhile, at the forum, Representative Song also expressed her intention to propose a "win-win consultative body" to Suwon-area lawmakers. She explained, "Suwon insists only on forced relocation, but the 'win-win consultative body' is proposed to gather politicians, local government heads, and experts to seek alternatives."