Chungnam Province: "Simultaneous response through feasibility re-examination passage and related law revision for the normal promotion of Seosan Airport construction"

Following the request for a feasibility re-examination of Seosan Airport submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Ministry of Economy and Budget last August, the Ministry of Economy and Budget commissioned the Korea Development Institute (KDI) to conduct the study on the 15th of this month.

A feasibility re-examination is a legal procedure that projects currently being promoted with reflected budgets must undergo if they fall under the preliminary feasibility study target category (total project cost of 50 billion won or more, etc.).

Seosan Airport underwent a KDI preliminary feasibility study in May 2023, but with a total project cost of 53.2 billion won, it narrowly missed the passing threshold (0.5) with a comprehensive evaluation (AHP) result of 0.456. However, through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s project re-planning, the total project cost was successfully adjusted to 48.4 billion won, allowing the project to proceed without a preliminary feasibility study.

However, as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport subsequently materialized the project through an airport construction master plan service, the project cost increased to 89.9 billion won due to items and plan adjustments that could not be verified during the re-planning phase.

The province has sought ways to reduce project costs through multiple consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but failed to lower it below 50 billion won.

Accordingly, to ensure the normal advancement of Seosan Airport—a long-cherished desire of provincial residents—the province plans to actively respond so that the necessity of the project and its regional ripple effects are fully reflected during the feasibility re-examination process.

First, the province plans to devise measures to rationally adjust project costs within a range that does not impair the safety and functions of the airport, while responding to the economic and policy analysis of the Seosan Airport construction.

In addition, the province will establish a response system involving the province, Seosan City, and relevant experts to ensure that local government opinions are reflected throughout the entire feasibility re-examination process, and will closely consult with related organizations such as the government and the National Assembly to rationally adjust the project plan.

Along with this, the province plans to continuously monitor the passage of the National Finance Act amendment—which raises the feasibility re-examination criteria to a total project cost of 100 billion won—through the National Assembly, simultaneously responding to both the passage of the feasibility re-examination and the revision of related laws.

The province plans to urge the National Assembly and the government for the prompt processing of the National Finance Act amendment currently pending in the Strategy and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, as well as institutional supplements and application examples of the revised law so that it can be retroactively applied to projects currently undergoing feasibility re-examination.

Furthermore, regarding the government's recently announced plan for the temporary dispersal placement of Gwangju military airport at the Seosan base, the province expressed concerns over its significant impact on the Seosan Airport promotion process and future civil aircraft operations, and officially requested relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last August, to take measures so that the airport construction project does not face disruptions.

An official from the province stated, "Seosan Airport is an essential infrastructure necessary to enhance the air transportation convenience of residents in the Chungnam west coast region and promote regional industrial and tourism development," adding, "We will fully explain the necessity of the project during the feasibility re-examination process, prepare measures to secure economic and policy feasibility, and closely consult with the government to ensure the normal promotion of the project."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]