Over 500,000 Signatures Collected for Civil-Only Runway at Cheongju International Airport
Local Governments and Civic Groups Join Forces to Achieve One Million Signatures
Chungbuk Province Aims for Special Legislation and National Policy Inclusion This Year
Citizens are signing a petition for the construction of a civil-only runway at Cheongju Airport. / Photo by Chungbuk Province
The number of participants in the petition for the construction of a civil-only runway at Cheongju International Airport, the only international airport in the central region, has surpassed 500,000. This marks the halfway point toward the original goal of one million signatures.
According to Chungbuk Province, interim results show that 311,026 people participated online and 194,971 people signed on paper, totaling 505,997 participants. Since April, a campaign to collect one million signatures has been underway to raise local residents' awareness and unite their aspirations for the construction of a civil-only runway. Heads of local governments in the Chungcheong region, including Sejong City, as well as representatives of private organizations, have been forming a consensus and joining the cause.
From the early stages of the petition, the mayors of Daejeon and Sejong, and the chairperson of the Chungcheong Metropolitan Council participated in the campaign. Heads of basic local governments, business leaders, university presidents, and religious leaders have also successively expressed their intention to join the petition. In particular, Cheongseok Academy contributed to the momentum by submitting a petition with more than 12,000 members, mainly from Cheongju University.
The "construction of a civil-only runway at Cheongju Airport" is also included as the number one pledge for Chungbuk Province by President Lee Jaemyung, which is expected to further accelerate the project.
Chungbuk Province is pursuing the project with the goal of enacting a special law for Cheongju Airport and reflecting the plan in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan within this year. The province also plans to ensure that the project is included in the new government's national policy agenda. In the second half of the year, Chungbuk Province intends to maintain the momentum for the runway construction project and strengthen its efforts by holding residents' resolution rallies and policy forums.
An official from Chungcheongbuk-do said, "We will thoroughly carry out the petition campaign during the remaining period to fully reflect the will and aspirations of residents who want the runway to be built."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
