Home > Opinion > Columns

Gadeokdo Airport project driven by politics, not policy

Published: 21 May. 2025, 00:04 Updated: 20 May. 2025, 19:36

Yu Jeong-whon

The author is a professor of transportation systems engineering at Ajou University

The ongoing push to build a new international airport on Gadeok Island, Busan, is a textbook example of how political interests can override sound policy judgment. Since discussions of a new airport in Korea’s southeastern region began in 2006, the government had taken steps to resolve disputes over the location. In 2016, a French consultancy conducted a detailed feasibility study, which concluded that expanding the existing Gimhae International Airport was the most viable option. The decision was grounded in empirical evaluation, not political rhetoric.

Layout plan of the Gadeokdo New Airport [BUSAN METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

That conclusion, however, was overturned ahead of the 2021 elections. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties passed a special law in support of the Gadeokdo New Airport, effectively sidelining the Gimhae expansion plan. This move ignored ongoing administrative procedures and dismissed questions of technical feasibility and economic viability. In doing so, a hard-won social consensus was undone, and public trust in government policy suffered.

Experts have raised repeated concerns. Gadeokdo is on soft marine sediment, which would require massive investment and time for ground reinforcement. The estimated cost has already surpassed 13 trillion won ($9 billion), and, given the project’s complexity, that figure could rise significantly. The original timeline of seven years is now expected to stretch to at least nine.

More recently, Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s consortium, the preselected contractor, withdrew from the project after refusing to comply with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s request to revise its basic design. As a result, the government is now searching for a new contractor. But considering that no bidders came forward in four previous tenders — leading to the initial no-bid contract — finding a replacement is expected to be difficult. Although a task force has formed to minimize delays, it is unlikely the airport will open by 2029 as planned.

Beyond the cost and engineering challenges, the site itself poses major operational risks. The runway would be 15 meters (16 yards) narrower than that of Incheon International Airport, restricting large aircraft. Its proximity to the Nakdong River estuary, a major bird migration route, means the risk of bird strikes could be up to 246 times higher than it is at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla. Frequent fog and strong winds in the area also present serious threats to flight safety.

The surrounding infrastructure is equally inadequate. Plans for road and rail links remain vague, and there is no clear funding strategy. An additional 8.5 trillion won may be required just to build supporting transportation networks. If delays and difficult construction conditions continue, the project’s total cost could approach 30 trillion won.

Despite these red flags, political forces have continued to drive the project forward with little regard for technical soundness, fiscal prudence or long-term benefit. For a megaproject involving tens of trillions of won, there has been remarkably little public deliberation. Information has been fragmented, and decisions appear driven more by campaign slogans than data. Residents have been drawn in by idealized promises, not by rigorous analysis.

It is time to return to the core principles of rationality and efficiency. According to the original expansion plan for Gimhae Airport, 5.96 trillion won could increase capacity to 38 million passengers annually. On its own, that may not be enough for a major international hub. But with added investment in runway expansion, international terminal upgrades, and regional transit systems, Gimhae could serve as a more realistic and cost-effective alternative to Gadeokdo.

Kim Soo-sam, head of the committee tasked with reviewing the Gimhae Airport plan, announces the results of the review at the government complex in central Seoul on the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2020. [YONHAP]

Above all, it would be far more strategic to redirect the trillions earmarked for Gadeokdo into long-overdue transportation projects for the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region. These include the proposed Great Train Express line connecting the three cities, metropolitan rail links from Busan to Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, a new expressway from Gimhae to Ulsan, and the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line through Busan. These projects, long demanded by residents, would not only bridge the gap with the capital region but also establish a unified economic and living zone in Korea’s southeast.

It is time to end the era in which national politics imposes infrastructure decisions on regions without procedural legitimacy or public consent. The future of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang must be decided by the people who live there, not external political agendas. The Gadeokdo project, if not reassessed soon, risks becoming a reckless political gamble with enormous national consequences.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.