Detailed design work begins for Gadeokdo airport site despite cost dispute

Detailed design work for the Gadeokdo New Airport site preparation project is set to begin in earnest, even as disputes over construction cost adjustments continue to stall the broader project. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Do-eup of Gangseo-gu, Busan, said Monday that detailed design work on the site preparation project will proceed as a priority, separate from the ongoing construction cost normalization issue, to ensure the airport opens on schedule in 2035.

The site preparation project received a passing evaluation on its basic design in September, but follow-up procedures — including a contract for priority construction work and the launch of detailed design — have been delayed due to a sharp rise in construction costs driven by the war in the Middle East.

"After consulting with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Authority and Daewoo Engineering & Construction, we agreed that the 2035 opening must not be disrupted, and decided to proceed with detailed design work as a priority, separate from the cost normalization issue," Kim said. The detailed design phase is expected to run for 180 days from the start date.

Kim also criticized the Lee Jae Myung administration for what he described as a lack of will and accountability on the construction cost issue. "They say they understand the need to increase construction costs, yet they waste time passing the buck between ministries, and as a last resort are now trying to shift responsibility to the National Assembly by proposing to resolve the cost normalization issue through special legislation," Kim said.

Kim then urged the government to act immediately. "If the government amends the enforcement decree of the State Contract Act or the total project cost management guidelines now, the cost increase issue can be resolved quickly," he said. "President Lee Jae Myung has already called for speed on the Gwangju military airport relocation for the Honam semiconductor cluster, even mentioning guideline revisions — I strongly urge him to bring the same resolve to resolving the Gadeokdo airport cost normalization issue."

Kim also took aim at what he called a passive response from Busan city government. "For the sake of the early opening of Gadeokdo New Airport, which is the wish of Busan's citizens, I pushed former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in January to establish a project coordination body, and it was set up and put into operation ahead of schedule — yet Busan city is only echoing the central government's position," Kim said. He called on the city to actively persuade not only the relevant ministries but also Cheong Wa Dae if necessary, and to take the lead in resolving the construction cost normalization issue.