[Editorial] Long-Cherished Dream of The Southern Area,
New Airport to be Built
The matter of constructing a new international airport in the southern part of the country has been raised again. President Roh visited Busan yesterday and said a policy will be promptly determined. In other words, orders are publicly given to investigate the feasibility of building a new airport in the southern region.
Developing a new airport in the south was designated as a long-term task in the third medium- and long-term plans for airport development that were released last month by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation. On that account, plans for a new southern airport were considered scattered until at least 2020, when the next plan was to be devised.
The business of constructing a new airport is a long-cherished dream of residents in Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk. In fact, the chairpersons of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the five districts in Yeongnam had issued a statement urging the business.
Residents in the southern part of Korea, including Jeonnam, face difficulty when traveling overseas just for the simple geographical reason that they are far from a major metropolitan area. Moreover, since Gimpo International Airport moved to Incheon International Airport, which is further away from the southern areas, inconvenience has become serious. For instance, 1,740,000 Yeongnam residents used the Incheon airport last year.
Concerning economic aspects, the extra money spent by them is estimated up to 290 billion won and that 99% of Yeongnam air cargo passes through Incheon. Furthermore, saturation of the facilities at Gimhae International Airport is critical. Passengers on international airlines in Busan are increasing every year by 5.4% from 2002 until now. Recent trends show that operation of new routes for nonstop flights to places like China has taken place at Gimhae.
The central government, as a matter of fact, has been disregarding the convenience of constructing a new airport in the southern area until today. In some way, such illogical policy should be readjusted. That granted, the construction of a new southern airport should proceed without any setbacks. Developing a balance across the nation and decentralizing power are not so far away.
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 / 입력시간: 2006. 12.29. 08:47
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