Lawmakers demand Lee's decision on Gadeokdo airport cost revision before chuseok

Political circles and industry players are calling for a revision of construction cost estimates for the new airport being built on Gadeokdo island in Busan.

People Power Party lawmaker Lee Seong-kwon convened a forum at the National Assembly on Friday, urging the Lee Jae Myung administration to act on the issue. Fellow party lawmakers Kim Do-eup, Kim Mi-ae, Kwak Gyu-taek and Jeong Seong-guk also attended.

Consortium companies at the forum said rising prices in the wake of the Middle East war had made a cost revision necessary. Some warned that firms could withdraw and the project could face delays if contractors were forced to absorb heavy losses before construction even begins.

Lee said the Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Ministry of Economy and Finance had passed the buck back and forth, going through mediation by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, before the Ministry of Planning and Budget ultimately amended the special act on Gadeokdo New Airport. "The government's irresponsibility is holding Gadeokdo New Airport back," he said.

Lawmaker Jeong said on the inflation driven by the Middle East war: "It is the government's role to take responsibility when force majeure events occur, yet every agency is shifting the blame to another."

According to Lee's office, companies in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province have invested amounts equivalent to their annual sales in the project and could face losses without a cost revision.

Lee said the guidelines must be revised before chuseok for the airport to open on schedule. "The president must now make a decision. President Lee must keep his promise not to let Gadeokdo New Airport be derailed or delayed," he said.

He added that the People Power Party's Busan chapter would visit Cheong Wa Dae before chuseok to press President Lee for a decision.