President Lee Jae-myung, referring to the prolonged closure of Muan International Airport following the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster in Dec. 2024, said, "Move quickly on discussions to reopen, including consultations with the bereaved families."
At an expanded national tourism strategy meeting held at the Blue House that day, the president said this after Gwangju Tourism Organization President Jeong Jae-yeong noted that "it has been over a year since Muan International Airport was closed, and the local tourism industry is on the brink of collapse."
Muan Airport, which has been closed since the passenger plane disaster in Dec. 2024, was scheduled to reopen after the accident response was completed, but the closure continues as the investigation into the cause of the accident has not yet been concluded.
As a result, complaints have continued about the inconvenience for Gwangju and South Jeolla residents using international flights, along with calls for a swift reopening and suggestions that international routes should be operated temporarily at Gwangju Airport, a domestic airport.
Citing the series of developments, the president asked Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, "Have you considered using Gwangju Airport temporarily for international flights until Muan Airport is reopened?"
When the Minister said, "We are reviewing it, but Gwangju Airport is not an international airport, so efforts and preparations are needed to change the system," the president nodded, saying, "We need to have the system in place, and there will likely be various issues."
He added, "The most important thing is to reopen Muan Airport quickly."
The president then asked, "When can we reopen Muan Airport? Isn't the extension of the closure to preserve the scene for the accident investigation?" The Minister replied, "If that issue is wrapped up well, we can proceed right away in the first half of this year."
The president responded, "If the bereaved families of the (passenger plane disaster) are assured the scene is preserved accurately and the record is kept precisely, they are unlikely to strongly oppose reopening," adding, "Move to resume (discussions) as quickly as possible. We can't drag this on indefinitely. Consult well."