The government is trying to explain to the public the latest decision to expand Gimhae Airport instead of building a new one is not a revocation of President Park Geun-hye's election pledge but a faithful fulfillment of her promises. Cheongwadae (Presidential Palace) spokesman Chung Youn-kuk said on June 22 at the press center with reporters, "The decision to make Gimhae Airport bigger is in truth equivalent to making a new one nearby. This is far from a retraction of prior remarks but is actually delivering what she promised.
Earlier in March 2011 when the Lee Myung-bak administration announced its intention to cancel the new airport building project, Ms. Park remarked, "It is deeply regrettable that the government broke the promises with people" and said she would continue seeking the project. In the 2012 Presidential election campaign, she indeed adopted the issue officially as one of the pledges.
Officials in Cheongwadae pointed out that the President didn't say anything about the specific location of the new airport in her campaign trail and the latest decision in relation to Gimhae Airport was indeed the fulfillment of the pledge. Government officials now call the proposed project a "new Gimhae Airport."
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said in a meeting held today, "The new Gimhae Airport is not just adding a few runways and connecting roads but building a whole new airport in response to the rising demand in the southeast region. The decision we made yesterday was best we can ever make, based on a variety of factors including aviation safety, cost, accessibility, and environment."