With the June 3 local elections approaching, clashes are intensifying between Busan mayoral candidates over who is responsible for delaying the opening of the "Gadeokdo new airport." After Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chun Jae-soo claimed that the opening was pushed back to 2035 because of the former Yoon Suk-yeol administration, incumbent Mayor Park Heong-joon of the People Power Party called it a "clear false statement" and demanded a public apology.

Chun Jae-soo, the Democratic Party of Korea's Busan mayoral candidate (left), shakes hands with Park Heong-joon, the mayor of Busan, after a performance at the opening ceremony for the Mandeok–Centum Urban Expressway held around Mandeok IC in Buk-gu, Busan, on Feb. 9. /Courtesy of News1

On the 19th, Park wrote on Facebook, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, Gadeokdo new airport adopted a method that extended the entire airport, including the passenger terminal and runway, out to sea, setting the end of 2035 as the opening date," adding, "Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, at the strong request of Busan City, we adopted a method of building the passenger terminal and other facilities on land and the runway at sea, moving the airport launch up to December 2029."

This raised the question of whether a recent remark by Chun in a media interview was factual. In that interview, Chun said, "Although the special law on Gadeokdo new airport passed during the Moon Jae-in administration, under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration the opening of the new airport was postponed from the original 2029 to 2035, blindsiding citizens."

In response, Park said, "It was the Lee Jae-myung administration that again postponed to 2035 the opening date of Gadeokdo new airport, which we had advanced through every effort," adding, "President Lee Jae-myung said at a Busan town hall meeting on July 25 last year that delaying the opening of Gadeokdo new airport was unavoidable, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) finalized a 2035 opening through a government re-bid notice on Nov. 29 last year."

He continued, "It is unbelievable that a person who even served as the Lee Jae-myung administration's Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) cannot grasp such basic facts regarding Gadeokdo new airport," adding, "I doubt whether candidate Chun Jae-soo has the basic qualifications to run for Busan mayor." He also said Chun should apologize to Busan citizens for the false statement.

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