A bird's-eye view of Seogwipo City's Seongsan on Jeju Island. Korea Times file
By Lee Kyung-min
Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong Korea Times file
The heavily contested push to build a second airport in Seogwipo City's Seongsan on Jeju Island is expected to resume, buoyed by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's nomination of former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, according to market watchers, Thursday.
Whether and how well Won and Yoon manage the fierce pushback of some Jeju residents remains to be seen, a test of their leadership, negotiation and communication skills.
The construction plan has been blocked since last July, when the environment ministry rejected an environmental impact assessment study submitted by the land ministry, citing the lack of projections on and subsequent response measures for extinction risks of at-risk wildlife, among other environmental consequences. The land ministry has since been revising the report and plans to submit it around June.
Jeju divided
A group of Jeju residents, mostly living in and around Seongsan supporting the construction issued a statement, Wednesday, saying they welcome the nomination of Won, whom they view as a figure perfectly suited to push ahead with the airport's construction.
"President-elect Yoon nominated Won, the former Jeju governor, because he is the most qualified when measured by a variety of evaluation criteria," the group said during a press conference at the island's parliamentary building.
The second airport is essential to the future growth of Jeju, the group added, stressing that they have no doubt that Won's unwavering conviction and resolve to push for the plan will lead to the prosperity of the island.
"Yoon pledged that he would make the construction a priority, and nominating Won to advance the plan is the surest way to make that happen. Speedy construction of the airport will be the best way to resolve the politically divisive issue, which has become a major source of conflict among Jeju residents," the group said.
However, the support is being met by equally strong opposition among other residents.
A group of residents that criticized Won's nomination issued a statement Sunday, demanding that he turn down the nomination.
"Won practically bulldozed the plan, ignoring public opinion," the group said. "The country's real estate policies will become a source of very intense conflict, as indicated by Won's pattern of past behavior when he was the Jeju governor."
According to a survey conducted last year by Gallup Korea, a local pollster, 47 percent of the respondents opposed the plan, while 44.1 percent supported it.
In a separate survey of Seongsan residents, 64.9 percent supported the plan, more than double the 31.4 percent who opposed it.
The People Power Party's Jeju office issued a statement that said, "The construction will enhance Jeju residents' safety and will lay the foundation for the island's growth and job creation."
