Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Ki-jae visited Korea Airports Corporation on Thursday afternoon and met with newly appointed President Kim Won-jun to brief him on conditions in airport noise-affected areas and directly convey key issues and demands raised by local residents.
At the meeting, Lee said practical measures were needed that residents could tangibly feel, including steps to reduce airport noise — such as cutting aircraft operating hours, expanding late-night surcharges and restricting high-noise aircraft operations — as well as increases in summer electricity bill support and assistance for aging air-conditioning facilities.
Lee also raised related issues including a joint response to altitude restrictions around Gimpo Airport set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and support for operating a dedicated store inside Gimpo Airport for local small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed merchants. The two sides discussed ways to cooperate.
The district has been pursuing a range of support projects to ease the burden of airport noise and reduce living costs for nearby residents. As the first basic local government in the country to implement property tax reductions for residents in airport noise-affected areas, it has supported more than 75,000 households over three years. Through its Airport Noise Comprehensive Support Center, it has continued resident-focused programs including detailed hearing examinations, hearing aid support, psychological counseling and Gimpo Airport usage fee assistance.
In addition, the district plans to continue pursuing the necessary procedures and external cooperation during the ninth elected term to further expand support for noise-affected residents, including additional property tax market-rate reductions and one additional month of electricity bill support.
"In this meeting, I tried to convey as faithfully as possible the long-held wishes of our residents and the voices from the community," Lee said. "These longstanding issues will not be resolved all at once, but if we open our hearts to each other and work sincerely toward solutions, I am certain we will make gradual progress."
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