TK New Airport Construction Cost of 13 Trillion Won Requested from Government Public Fund Management Fund... Imangyu, Daegu City Council Speaker, Holds Solo Protest

Lee Man-gyu, Chairman of the Daegu Metropolitan Council, held a solo protest for the second consecutive day on the morning of the 5th from 7:30 AM for 1 hour and 30 minutes in front of the Government Sejong Complex, where the Ministry of Economy and Finance is located, to urge the government to support the Public Fund Management Fund for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport project.

This solo protest was held to emphasize that securing stable project funding, a key element in the construction of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport, must be prioritized above all else, and to call on the Ministry of Economy and Finance to actively support loans from the government’s “Public Fund Management Fund.”

Lee Mankyu, Chairman of the Daegu City Council, is holding a solo protest in front of the Government Sejong Complex, demanding that the government support the 13 trillion won construction cost of the TK New Airport from the government's Public Fund Management Fund.

The Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport is not simply an SOC project but a combined civil-military airport relocation project directly linked to national security. The protest aims to convey the local community’s voice to the government that the financial burden should not be excessively placed on local governments.

The estimated amount of the Public Fund Management Fund needed for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport construction project is about 13 trillion won, which includes 11.5 trillion won for military airport construction costs and financial expenses. Daegu City plans to raise funds by issuing local bonds over six years from next year until 2031, with the Public Fund Management Fund purchasing these local bonds.

Recently, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has shown a negative stance on the “Special Act Amendment for the Construction of the TK Integrated New Airport,” which is being promoted to establish the basis for utilizing the Public Fund Management Fund, citing issues such as fairness. Therefore, persuasion of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which holds decision-making authority over the fund’s operation, is necessary.

Chairman Lee Man-gyu proposed institutional improvements at the 7th National Council of Chairpersons of Metropolitan and Provincial Councils held in November last year, including making national responsibility implementation the basic principle for military airport relocation projects, providing national funding support for excess project costs incurred when local governments inevitably promote projects through donation and concession methods, revising unreasonable management guidelines for donation and concession projects, and excluding local government debt ratios from the accounting of loans from public funds. The council unanimously adopted this proposal.

Chairman Lee also stated, “The Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport is not just a local airport but an important national security project involving the relocation (construction) of a military airport directly linked to national security, yet it is being led by local governments.” He added, “We urge the Ministry of Economy and Finance to take a more proactive stance in providing financial support, including the use of the Public Fund Management Fund, considering the special nature of this project,” explaining the background of the solo protest and calling for government-level support.