Environmental, economic problems concerning Saemangeum airport project resurface

Economic and environmental issues regarding a proposed airport in Saemangeum are emerging once again as the tendering process to construct it came to an end, Thursday. The Seoul Regional Office of Aviation wrapped up its four-day tender bidding process after receiving tender bid applications from building developers who are interested in the Saemangeum International Airport proposed project, which the government hopes will be built by 2029 in North Jeolla Province. The Saemangeum airport project is part of the government's efforts to seek balanced regional growth across the country, a policy adopted in 2019. The government plans to spend a total of 807b won ($600m) on the airport project, with 510b won assigned for its construction. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the local government aims to develop the renowned tidal flat of Saemangeum into a global business and logistics hub with the construction of the international airport. Three companies qualified via the tender process to construct works relating to the proposed international airport on the 1.89m-square-meter site, which will feature a single 2,500-m-long runway. The ministry will evaluate the three companies' applications and announce the results a few months from now. However, activists denounced the ministry for proceeding with the construction bid phase while it remains still uncertain whether the airport will actually be built. The Ministry of Environment's environmental impact evaluation is still underway and a final decision on whether to proceed with the airport's construction can only be reached with its consent.<br/>