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What would disappear with the building of the 2nd Jeju airport (air force base)? According to bird-lover Kim Ye-won (19), the area nearby the planned airport is a paradise for birds. Some of these birds, like Chinese black-headed gulls, are endangered species. About 10 oreums (parasitic cones) are also threatened to have 40 to 100 meters cut off from the top. Photos by and resource partly from Ha Sang-yoon, Segye Ilbo. March 3, 2019.
1.The eastern Oreum colonies of Jeju will permanently lose their present form as many Oreums (volcanic cones) will be cut.
2. The caves and the bird sanctuaries at the airport site will be destroyed. Furthermore, there will be high chances of accidents at the airport due to ground subsidence and bird strikes.
3. The property rights of the locals living nearby the Second Jeju Airport will be limited and they will suffer from serious noise pollution.
4. There are possibilities that the Second Jeju Airport would be used for military purposes. If the US military decides to use the airport based on the ROK-US Mutual Defense Agreement, Jeju Island will face aggravated risks of military conflicts.
5. Even though the number of tourists increases, only the airline companies and high-ranking hotels will monopolise the benefits from the airfares and the lodging expenses. Furthermore, the increase in the number of tourists will cause more trash and water pollution.
6. There will be more traffic congestion because of the increased number of tourists. If road expansion follows accordingly, it will cost a huge amount of financial resources and destroy the natural environment.
7. There will be an increase of time and costs when it comes to access from outside of the east of Jeju due to the division of functions between the current airport and the Second Jeju Airport.
8. Due to the tremendous amount of finances that will be spent on the construction of the Second Jeju Airport and related infrastructure, it will be difficult to improve the current airport appropriately and welfare projects for the inhabitants of the province will diminish overall.
9. The fluctuation of the real estate price in certain areas near the Second Jeju Airport will benefit the landlords but will generally cause inflation and deepen inequalities in terms of regional development.
10. The long term construction process will cause irreversible social conflicts among the inhabitants of Seongsan and from all parts of Jeju island.
Many species live in the Bijarim-ro forest. Among them, fairy pitta is classified as ‘vulnerable’ while Japanese night heron is ‘endangered,’ according to the IUCN red-list. Dung beetles (Copris tripartitus) are one of the endangered species defined by the South Korean government. Drawing by Lee Nan-young and a photo by Bird Korea (inside the drawing).
The findings are thanks to People Doing All Things to Save the Bijarim-ro.
This is our chance to make some change!
Five propositions for a just, sustainable Jeju where the Islanders are the agents:
1. To make tourist demand management policies that consider the environmental and social capacity of Jeju Island as soon as possible.
2. To implement improvement projects to resolve inconveniences and guarantee safety of visitors at the current airport as soon as possible.
3. To prepare measures to guarantee the mobility rights of Jeju residents, such as a seat quota system for residents.
4. To implement policies and allocate budgets to minimize the damage from noise pollution suffered by the residents living near the current airport.
5. To legislate the requirement to collect opinions from and to consult with the residents before launching large scale development projects and national projects.
People of the tent town in front of the Jeju Provincial Hall who oppose the 2nd Jeju Airport
We want a Just, Sustainable Jeju where the Islanders are the Agents (Decision-makers)!
Stop the 2nd Jeju Airport (Air Force Base)!
Stop the expansion construction of Bijarim-ro road, a connection to the 2nd Jeju Airport!
- Text translation by People of the tent town in front of the Jeju Provincial Hall who oppose the 2nd Jeju Airport and proofreading by Curry.
