In addition, the New Airport Special Act on Gadeok Island in Busan, promoted by the Democratic Party, has crossed the threshold of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly held a plenary session this afternoon (26th) and passed the special law for the construction of a new airport on Gadeokdo with 181 votes in favor, 33 votes against, and 15 abstentions.
It has been three months since 138 members of the Democratic Party and members of the Power of the People in Busan and Gyeongnam each proposed a special law in November last year.
As the ruling and opposition leaders announced their willingness to pass the special law, such as visiting Busan earlier, most of the Democratic Party and the People's Strength Congress voted in favor.
As a result, the location of the new airport in the Southeast region has been confirmed in Gadeok Island, Busan.
A special law has been passed, and the preliminary feasibility study, which reviews economic feasibility, etc., can be exempted if necessary when promoting large-scale new projects, and the preliminary feasibility study can be simplified.
However, the environmental impact assessment, which was omitted in the original draft, was conducted.
As for the existing Gimhae New Airport Plan, the additional provisions of the Special Act require the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to establish a comprehensive plan so as not to overlap with Gadeokdo New Airport.
Discussions on the new airport on Gadeok-do took a rush on November 17 last year when the verification committee under the Prime Minister's Office announced that a fundamental review of the new airport in Gimhae was necessary.
On the 26th of the same month, the 9th day of the announcement, the Democratic Party initiated a special law for Gadeokdo New Airport, with the then-Chief Policy Committee Chairman Han Han-ae as its representative speaker.
For this reason, some criticize that it is pushing ahead with large-scale national projects without careful review ahead of the Busan mayor's by-election in April.
In response, the Democratic Party has drawn a line saying that it is not true for the interpretation of'election use', but is speeding up the project, saying that it will form a special committee for promotion of the new airport next week, chaired by Nak-yeon Lee.
Kim Tae-nyeon, the representative of the hospital, emphasized, "We will start the pre-feasibility study as quickly as possible and close the procedure for canceling the Gimhae New Airport project."
The power of the people criticized President Moon Jae-in's visit to Gadeokdo Island as an election intervention yesterday, one day before the vote, but participated in the ballot by free votes of lawmakers without deciding whether or not to vote for the special law.
It is interpreted that it is conscious of local public sentiment ahead of the Busan mayoral election in April.
In the pros and cons that took place before the vote, Rep. Sang-do Kwak and Rep. Sang-jeong Shim of the Justice Party criticized the ruling party, saying that the government is trying to deal with it even though the government has expressed an ``inappropriate'' opinion.
On the other hand, Democrats Jin Seong-joon and Park Soo-young, who were in favor of the debate, were greeted that the National Assembly should end the exhausting debate and promptly promote the project for balanced national development.
Earlier, the ruling and opposition parties held the Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee on the 19th and the Legislative Judicial Council yesterday to resolve a special law.
(Photo = Yonhap News)