Rep. Yeom Tae-young of the Democratic Party pushed back against criticism that the proposed Gyeonggi International Airport is a political achievement being built up for Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's presidential ambitions, calling it "a priority project for Gyeonggi Province that has been pursued since the previous governor's term."
In a post on Facebook on the 22nd titled "Gyeonggi International Airport Is Not a Choice but a Necessity," Yeom said a core project that will secure the nation's future growth "must not be damaged by political controversy that is at odds with the facts."
Yeom stressed that the airport is not a new initiative driven by Choo's political goals. "It was a campaign pledge of candidate Kim Dong-yeon during the 2022 local elections," he said, adding that the province formed a task force for the airport and carried out feasibility reviews and site analyses. He also cited the province's stated commitment to the airport during parliamentary audits of government agencies in 2024 and 2025.
He also rejected criticism over whether a large-scale airport project is appropriate while the province faces fiscal strain. Yeom said the relocation of the Suwon and Hwaseong military airfields could proceed under a "donation and transfer" arrangement, in which the existing airfield site is handed over in exchange for the construction of new facilities, and argued that "20 trillion won in available funding could be secured." Linking the military airfield relocation to the construction of a civilian international airport, as Gwangju and Daegu have done, would allow the project to move forward without a direct financial burden on the province, he said.
He also said an international airport is urgently needed to secure the competitiveness of advanced industries in southern Gyeonggi. "Southern Gyeonggi has a concentration of world-class advanced industries such as semiconductors and biotechnology," Yeom said, predicting that air logistics will grow in importance as those industries expand. He pointed in particular to projections that Incheon International Airport could reach saturation between 2033 and 2042, arguing that preparations must begin now given that building an airport takes more than a decade.
Yeom also urged the government to reflect plans for the Gyeonggi airport in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan now being drawn up. "I hope to see somewhat more advanced language on Gyeonggi International Airport than in the 6th plan," he said, adding that the province should respond actively ahead of the national plan's release.
"The cuts to welfare spending caused by the province's recent fiscal strain and the cost of building the international airport are entirely separate projects, with different timelines for when funds are needed and different ways of covering them," Yeom said. "I earnestly ask that the Gyeonggi International Airport project no longer be used as material for political attacks."