[THE INVESTOR] Transport Minister Kang Ho-in apologized to the citizens of Milyang and Busan who had hoped to host a new international airport, adding that the decision to expand Gimhae Airport instead was in the nation’s best interest.

“State projects must undertaken based on the nation’s whole interest in mind taking into account the economy, potential, and competitiveness,” he said in a meeting with lawmakers.

On Tuesday, Korea said it has scrapped a plan to build a new international airport in the southeastern region, choosing instead to push for the expansion of the Gimhae International Airport.

[헤럴드경제=이상섭 기자] 22일 오전 서울청사에서 황교안 국무총리 주재로 영남권 신공항에 대한 후속조치를 논의하는 관계장관회의가 열린 가운데 강호인 국토교통부장관이 회의실 자리에 앉고 있다. 이번 회의에서는 영남권 신공항을 새롭게 만드는 대신 김해공항을 확장하기로 한 데 따른 구체적인 대책을 논의할 예정이다.<br />babtong@heraldcorp.com
[헤럴드경제=이상섭 기자] 22일 오전 서울청사에서 황교안 국무총리 주재로 영남권 신공항에 대한 후속조치를 논의하는 관계장관회의가 열린 가운데 강호인 국토교통부장관이 회의실 자리에 앉고 있다. 이번 회의에서는 영남권 신공항을 새롭게 만드는 대신 김해공항을 확장하기로 한 데 따른 구체적인 대책을 논의할 예정이다.
babtong@heraldcorp.com

The announcement was made after French airport engineering company ADPi conducted a yearlong feasibility study on two candidate sites -- Miryang, a rural town located between Busan and Daegu, and Busan’s Gedeok Island.

Critics said President Park Geun-hye will face opposition from the public as she earlier vowed to build a fresh new airport in the southeastern part of the country for balanced growth.

The government has been claiming that Park never broke her promise, as the scope of the renovation of Gimhae International Airport is as big as building a new airport.

“As there will be a the construction of an independent control tower, the project should be dubbed New Gimhae International Airport,” Kang argued.

The expansion project calls for not only a new control tower, but also a new 3,200-meter runway to augment the two already in operation, a new terminal, and expanded transportation infrastructure to make it easier for people to access the airport.

After construction is completed, the airport will be able to handle upward of 40 million people annually. Currently, it is only equipped for 17 million.

Despite such explanations, the latest polls showed that residents in North Gyeongsang Province, who had wanted a new airport in Miryang, expressed their frustration.

According to data compiled by Gallup, 52 percent of the respondents in Daegu and North Geyongsang had negative views on Park’s performance as president this week, up a sharp 15 percentage points from a week earlier. Only 37 percent said they still supported her.

The drop is noteworthy since the region staunchly supported the president in the past.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)