The government has postponed the opening goal for the Gadeok New Airport from 2029 to 2035, effectively delaying the project by six years. This decision overturned promises made regarding the national project intended to develop a gateway airport in the southern region and contribute to balanced national development, yet there was no official apology or reprimand. The local community, which had been eagerly anticipating the timely opening of the airport, reacted strongly and is now pushing for a quicker construction and opening.
On November 21, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Gadeok New Airport Construction Corporation announced a revised construction period of 106 months, up from the previously estimated 84 months, and plans to begin the tender process by the end of the year. Following the selection of a contractor and the completion of the basic design, it is projected that construction can begin in earnest in the latter half of next year, with the airport opening by 2035.
This decision officially abandoned the December 2023 government announcement and commitment to a 2029 opening target. The government’s original plan had been to initially open in December 2029 with completed essential facilities, and to finalize the entire project by 2032.
The Ministry explained that ensuring safety during the construction and operation of the airport was paramount, which necessitated thorough technical reviews and consultations with experts.
The city of Busan responded with immediate opposition. Mayor Park Heong-joon held a press conference expressing strong regret over the government’s decision, which he claimed ignored the citizens’ desire for a prompt start and opening of Gadeok New Airport. He criticized the decision to extend the construction period by 22 months to 106 months, in the absence of scientific or empirical evidence, as yielding to the construction industry’s limitations and being self-contradictory.
Efforts had been ongoing to adhere to the originally promised timeline through re-tendering. However, after seven months of delay, the government only offered a period that was marginally shorter than the 108 months proposed by the previously disqualified Hyundai Construction Consortium.
Community members saw the decision as dismissive and contemptuous of the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions, expressing frustration over the lack of accountability after breaking a longstanding, bipartisan promise for timely airport opening. Despite multiple past pledges for expedited progression of the Gadeok New Airport by President Lee Jae-myung and Minister Kim Yoon-deok, there hasn’t been an official apology or sanction against Hyundai Construction for violating national contract laws.
Park Jae-yul, co-representative of the Gadeok New Airport and Flagship Airline Promotion Busan Citizens’ Movement Headquarters, criticized the government’s lack of apologies or accountability, while emphasizing the need for comprehensive government oversight to ensure that construction proceeds smoothly.
Mayor Park underscored the disappointment felt by Busan citizens and committed to finding reasonable ways to shorten the construction period, advocating with the Ministry to potentially bring the opening a year or two forward.