PPP's Busan lawmakers question Lee government's commitment to Gadeokdo airport opening

People Power Party lawmakers from Busan held a press conference at the National Assembly's media room on Monday, urging the swift resolution of a dispute over rising construction costs for Gadeokdo New Airport. They accused the government of wasting time by passing the buck between ministries and called on it to demonstrate a firm commitment to opening the airport on schedule in 2035.

In a statement read at the conference, the lawmakers said the Gadeokdo New Airport construction project "stands at a critical crossroads over the issue of bringing construction costs in line with reality," adding that the groundbreaking for the priority construction phase is also expected to be delayed. "The construction cost issue must be resolved quickly for the airport to open on time in 2035," they said.

The lawmakers sharply criticized the government, saying ministries had acknowledged the need for a cost increase while shirking responsibility among themselves and wasting time. "Now, on top of that, they are trying to shift the burden onto the National Assembly by saying they will find a solution through revising the special law on Gadeokdo New Airport," they said.

The lawmakers noted that construction companies are demanding a government guarantee of the cost increase before any revision to the special law, but the government has maintained that such a guarantee would be difficult. As a solution, they proposed amending either the enforcement decree of the State Contracts Act or the guidelines for managing total project costs, arguing that revising either instrument now would allow the cost dispute to be resolved quickly.

The lawmakers also pressed President Lee Jae-myung and the government, asking why they had pushed for swift action — including mentions of guideline revisions — on relocating Gwangju's military airport to support the Honam semiconductor cluster, yet showed no comparable drive on Gadeokdo New Airport.

The lawmakers called Gadeokdo New Airport "a core project on which Busan's future depends" and said Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo must personally step in on the construction cost issue. They urged him to work in tandem with Busan's Assembly members to persuade the Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and to press the presidential office directly for a resolution if necessary. They also pushed back against Jeon, saying he should not simply wait while echoing the government's position but should instead advocate for Busan's citizens in pressing the government.

"If this is a nationally funded project the government pledged to carry out, the government must also bear the responsibility that comes with it," the lawmakers said, again urging the administration to resolve the construction cost dispute promptly by amending the enforcement decree of the State Contracts Act or the guidelines for managing total project costs.