Jeonbuk governor urges Saemangeum airport go ahead before 14 October ruling
In short
Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek publicly urged on 7 October that the Saemangeum International Airport project proceed normally, saying he hopes the appellate ruling on 14 October recognises its administrative and public value. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in September last year for about 1,300 citizens seeking cancellation of the development master plan, citing bird strike risk, and the land ministry appealed. Environmental group members were blocked from entering the governor's press conference in Jeonju.
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Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Lee Won-taek on 7 October urged that the Saemangeum International Airport project proceed as planned, saying he “sincerely hopes” the upcoming appellate ruling recognises the plan's administrative and public value and opens the way for it to go ahead, Yonhap reported. Speaking at a press conference at the provincial government building, he said that if construction is blocked, the path to attracting global companies and investment would close, shaking the whole Saemangeum project and state-led large national projects. Chosun Ilbo reported Lee described the airport as a key factor determining the success of a large state-led national project and said he could not step back. [ 2 , 3 ]
The project has been in dispute since the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in September last year in favour of about 1,300 citizens belonging to a coalition against the airport, in a suit seeking cancellation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's basic plan for the airport development. Yonhap reported the court cited the ministry's failure to compare bird strike risks when selecting the site and the intentional understatement of that risk; Chosun Ilbo reported the first-instance ruling cited insufficient economic feasibility and bird strike risk. The ministry appealed, and the Seoul High Court's Administrative Division 4-2 has concluded hearings and set 14 October as the ruling date, according to Yonhap. [ 2 , 3 ]
Lee said air, sea and land networks must be linked for Saemangeum to become a high-tech economic city and global economic hub, and that the airport has already been delayed for a long time, with residents waiting many years; further delay would hold back Jeonbuk's future, he said. He said Jeonbuk has taken part in the case as an intervenor and worked jointly with the ministry and other agencies, submitting objective data on bird strike risk, economic viability and the impact on world heritage sites to make the case for the airport's necessity and public value, Yonhap reported. [ 3 ]
The governor said concerns over safety and the environment are being taken seriously, and that protecting them should not be a choice against building the airport; he said he would find a solution that minimises environmental impact — including stronger bird strike prevention and protection of legally protected species — while building a base for regional growth, according to Yonhap. Yonhap also reported that members of environmental groups opposing the airport tried to enter the press conference and were blocked by police, staging a protest for a time. Lee said the behaviour of individuals expressing their views should not be obstructed and that this is a basic principle of democracy, but said he had not known in advance whether the groups had made such a request. [ 3 ]
Gunsan Mayor Kim Jae-joon and provincial assembly members Kim Woo-min, Na Dong-dae and Han Jun-hee attended the press conference, Yonhap reported. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The case is a test of whether a large state-led infrastructure plan can be halted by a court on environmental and economic grounds, with the governor arguing that a defeat would undermine investor confidence in the wider Saemangeum development. The ruling due on 14 October will decide whether the land ministry's basic plan stands or the project is cancelled, and both sides have framed the stakes as extending beyond the airport itself.
Key facts
- Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek called on 7 October for the Saemangeum International Airport project to proceed normally, ahead of the appellate ruling scheduled for 14 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in September last year in favour of about 1,300 citizens who sought cancellation of the airport development master plan. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport appealed the first-instance ruling. [ 3 ]
- Lee said that if construction is blocked, the path to attracting global companies and investment would close and the wider Saemangeum project and other state-led projects would be shaken. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Lee said Jeonbuk joined the case as an intervenor and has worked with the land ministry and other agencies, submitting data on bird strike risk, economic viability and world heritage impact. [ 3 ]
- Members of environmental groups opposing the airport tried to enter the press conference and were blocked by police, Yonhap reported. [ 3 ]
- Gunsan Mayor Kim Jae-joon and provincial assembly members Kim Woo-min, Na Dong-dae and Han Jun-hee attended the press conference. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The appellate ruling on the airport development master plan cancellation suit is scheduled for 14 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Governor Lee Won-taek publicly urged that the airport project be carried forward normally. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The first-instance ruling in September last year went in favour of the plaintiffs, and the land ministry appealed. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The precise grounds the first-instance court gave for ruling against the plan. Chosun Ilbo cites insufficient economic feasibility and bird strike risk, while Yonhap says the court cited the ministry's failure to compare bird strike risk and the intentional understatement of that risk; the documents do not give the full text of the ruling.
- Whether the safety and environmental objections raised against the airport have been resolved. Lee said he would seek a solution that minimises environmental impact, but the documents give no detail on measures agreed or accepted by opponents, and this is stated only in Yonhap's account.
- The outcome of the 14 October appellate ruling. The documents describe the hearing schedule only; no decision has been reported.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Seoul Administrative Court rules in favour of about 1,300 plaintiffs seeking cancellation of the Saemangeum International Airport development master plan. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports that Lee Won-taek is appealing for the Saemangeum Airport project to proceed normally, with the appellate ruling set for 14 October. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the governor's call, noting the first-instance ruling and his remark that the airport is a key factor in the success of a large state-led national project. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap reports Lee's press conference at the provincial government building in Jeonju, attended by Gunsan Mayor Kim Jae-joon and provincial assembly members, and the blocking of environmental group members at the entrance. [ 3 ]
- Seoul High Court Administrative Division 4-2 is scheduled to deliver its ruling in the appeal over the airport development master plan. [ 3 ]