Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung prepares to quench his thirst while attending the 2nd candidate debate for the 21st presidential election held at KBS Studio in Yeouido, Seoul on Mar. 23. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, noted that he would continue to push for the construction of the Gadeokdo New Airport, which has been stigmatized as a 'populism airport,' considering political factors.

The candidate responded on the afternoon of the 23rd during the second TV debate for the 21st presidential election to a question from Kwon Young-guk, the candidate from the Democratic Labor Party, asking whether the Gadeokdo New Airport project should be completely re-examined, saying, 'I will proceed while complementing it.'

Kwon said, 'South Korea is suffering seriously due to reckless development,' and noted, 'There are many places like Busan Gadeokdo, Jeju 2nd Airport, Saemangeum, and Heuksando New Airport.'

He further questioned, 'The cause of the recent Jeju Air disaster was a bird strike. Moreover, the risk of bird strikes at Gadeokdo is 246 times higher than that at Muan, and 610 times higher than that at Saemangeum. Additionally, the consortium of Hyundai E&C has already requested an extension of the construction period, which was later canceled,' asking, 'Shouldn’t the project be completely re-examined?'

The candidate responded, 'While there are various controversies, we cannot judge solely based on economic factors, and political factors are clearly present.' He added, 'If the situation arises where the Gadeokdo New Airport is canceled, it seems that greater losses will occur due to the strategic goal of national balanced development, as well as local neglect or political discord,' stating, 'We might have no choice but to proceed while making adjustments.'

Kwon said, 'It is extremely regrettable,' and questioned, 'How can we think we should politically consider this when building an airport? I truly believe this needs to be re-examined.'

Currently, the plan for the Gadeokdo New Airport in Busan to open in December 2029 is effectively at risk of being canceled. The consortium of Hyundai E&C, the target of the contract, has stated that it requires an additional 24 months for construction due to safety and quality concerns, beyond the 84 months proposed by the government.

The Gadeokdo New Airport construction plan has faced criticism from the construction and aviation industries on the grounds that the site environment is unsuitable for building an airport. It was canceled during the Park Geun-hye administration in 2016 but was re-pursued under the Moon Jae-in administration.