Second Jeju Island airport approved after earlier rejection

Environment

Published: 06 Mar. 2023, 18:34 Updated: 06 Mar. 2023, 18:49

Second Jeju Island airport approved after earlier rejection

A site of the new airport on Jeju Island in Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo on Jeju Island [YONHAP]

The Ministry of Environment approved a plan to build a new international airport on Jeju Island Monday, after reviewing a strategic environmental impact assessment submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The approval comes years since the plan was announced in 2015, but with several conditions. The airport project is one of the plans promoted by Land Minister Won Hee-ryong while he served as the Jeju governor from 2014 to 2018.

The Environment Ministry had rejected the proposal in July 2021 because its strategic environmental evaluation assessment was lacking. It noted the lack of studies and measures to preserve the environment.

A strategic environmental evaluation assessment is conducted to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of a site location in an environmental perspective.

The project involves a new airport to be built on the island in Seongsan-eup in Seogwipo, the eastern end of Jeju Island, in order to resolve the overcapacity at the current airport and the increasing demand of traveling to Jeju Island. It covers around an area of 5.5 square kilometers (550 hectares) and will have a 3.2-kilometer long runway. The project is expected to cost 6.6 trillion won ($5.1 billion).

A revised version of the strategic environmental impact assessment on the project was submitted on Jan. 5 by the Land Ministry, after the Environment Ministry concluded there are areas to be further assessed and studied, including the impact on birds in the area, evaluation of the effects of noise from planes, on protected species, such as narrow-mouthed frogs, and on groundwater sources.

The Land Ministry will need to apply the conditions suggested by the Environment Ministry Monday to its basic plan for the project and will need to hold discussions with the provincial government of the Jeju Island.

On top of the Land Ministry's revision, the Environment Ministry asked to further evaluate on the impact on habitats of birds living in the area considering the risk of bird strikes and reflect the opinion of residents on the island regarding noise from planes.

The Environment Ministry also required a review of alternatives to the overall plan, including size of the site and the location of the runway.

The updated plan will need to build on preservation measures of groundwater sources as it is expected some 153 sources may be affected within and near the site location as the volcanic island possesses high amount of groundwater.

Monday’s approval marks another conditional approval followed by the Environmental Ministry's approval of a cable car project on Mount Seorak last month which has been stalled due to opposition from local residents and environmental preservationists.

The ministry's conditional approval of the construction of another airport also encountered fierce oppositions from civic groups.

“The ministry’s act to damage the country’s land has extended to the second airport plan on Jeju Island,” said a civic group through its statement following the announcement, adding that the owner of the island is its residents and that such decision that would influence the lives of the resident should be decided by them.

“We disagree with the ministry’s political decision that ignores the truth and the science.”

An electronic display board shows flights in and out of Jeju Island get cancelled on Jan. 27 due to harsh weather conditions. [YONHAP]

The Land Ministry believes construction of a second airport is essential to resolve the overcapacity of the current Jeju International Airport.

A total of 233 outbound and 234 inbound flights were cancelled on Jan. 24 due to heavy snow and strong winds, causing over 40,000 travelers to be stranded on the last day of the Lunar New Year Holiday this year.

The Jeju International Airport was the most popular airport in the country used by passengers last year, according to the Korea Airports Corporation.

A total of 29.7 million passengers went through the current Jeju International Airport, the most out of all airports in Korea, including the Incheon International Airport.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]