Chief of Staff Kang Presides Over Senior Aides Meeting
On Concerns Over Increased User Inconvenience: "Insufficient Public Consensus"
Orders Detailed Implementation Plans for Next Year's Work to Be Prepared and Reported by Year-End
Emphasiz
On December 22, Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik instructed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to thoroughly review the entire process of operator selection and service changes regarding the Incheon International Airport valet parking service, following concerns that the service may be restructured in a way that increases inconvenience for users starting next year. The Presidential Office assessed that there is a lack of public consensus on issues such as changes to the service location, the introduction of a 'premium service,' and the appropriateness of the operator selection process.
According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong, Chief Secretary Kang, during a senior aides meeting held that afternoon, ordered a thorough review and report on whether the Incheon International Airport Corporation is carrying out its work fairly and transparently according to procedures, and whether there are any shortcomings from the public’s perspective regarding the planned changes to the valet parking service.
The core of the controversy centers on the 'change of drop-off and pick-up locations' and the 'introduction of a premium service.' Incheon International Airport Corporation plans to change the operation method of its valet parking service starting January 1 next year. For Terminal 1, the drop-off and pick-up location will reportedly move from the short-term parking lot (transportation center) connected to the terminal to the long-term parking lot near Club 72 Golf Course. For Terminal 2, it has been pointed out that the pick-up location will also move to the long-term parking lot, requiring passengers to use a shuttle bus.
Additionally, news that the fee for 'premium valet parking'-which allows drop-off and pick-up at ground level at the terminal-could be set at 40,000 won, twice the current rate, has sparked backlash as an effective price increase. According to Incheon Airport's official guidance, the current valet parking service fee is 20,000 won for standard vehicles (10,000 won for compact cars, people with disabilities, and national merit recipients), with parking fees charged separately.
Furthermore, at the meeting, Chief Secretary Kang remarked that "for the first time ever, the government work reports were conducted in a way that was broadcast live in real time for the entire nation to watch, marking a further step toward realizing a government based on popular sovereignty." As the government work reports near completion, he instructed the Office for Government Policy Coordination to prepare and report by the end of the year detailed implementation plans for each ministry's 2026 work plan.
Regarding the response to population aging, he stressed the need to actively foster the senior-friendly industry and AI and robotics-based 'Age-Tech' as future growth engines. Chief Secretary Kang ordered relevant ministries-including the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Health and Welfare-to develop and report measures to support the entire industrial cycle, from technology development and regulatory easing to demand creation, leveraging Korea’s strengths in manufacturing, ICT, and healthcare.
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