S. Korea parties revive airport plan before polls

South Korean political parties have revived a plan for a multi-billion dollar airport in the country's southeast, fuelling concern over costly pledges designed to win votes in a key election year. Both the interim head of the conservative ruling party and the main opposition grouping are pushing the project, even though 11 out of 14 existing local airports are haemorrhaging money. The plan, costing at least $8.7 billion, was one of Lee Myung-Bak's pledges before the conservative won the 2007 presidential election. His government scrapped the idea in March last year, admitting it would not be economically viable. Lee cannot stand again this December. But Park Geun-Hye, his likely successor as conservative party presidential candidate, vowed on February 20 to resurrect the project. "I think it is a crucial part of infrastructure and will improve the country's competitiveness," said Park, interim leader of the New Frontier Party (formerly the Grand National Party). "I will push forward the new airport project at all costs." A spokesman for her party -- which faces a tough battle in an April 11 parliamentary election -- had earlier said the new airport was essential since Gimhae airport near Busan, the southeastern city that is the country's second largest, was near saturation. The main opposition Democratic United Party also backs the plan but critics say populist politics has triumphed over pragmatism. Kim Keon-Ho of the Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice said he was appalled at Park's promise. "This may be helpful to woo some voters in the southeastern region but it's going to blow up in her face when she runs for the presidential election in December," he told AFP. "She must explain where is the justification to revive the project which was already cancelled on grounds that it would be economically unviable," Kim said. Many existing local airports were "like bastards that came into existence as the result of irresponsible election promises shelled out by politicians", the activist said. Robert J. Dickey, professor at Daegu's Keimyung University, said in a recent Korea Times commentary that Park was "playing the regional card" since her party was showing signs of weakness on its home turf in the southeast. "Pork barrel politics is at its zenith," Dickey wrote. The Korea Herald lamented last month that parties have "no qualms about making untenable pledges" before the elections. "No political party in its right mind would propose to launch a big-ticket airport project at a time when many regional airports need to be closed," it said. About half the country's population of 48.6 million lives in Seoul or its satellite cities, within easy reach of the main international gateway at Incheon. A high-speed train service serves much of the nation. One sleek airport in the southwestern town of Muan illustrates the problem. Muan airport can handle up to five million passengers annually. But only about 91,000 used it last year, down from about 100,000 the previous year. On a typical day last month, one domestic and two international flights were scheduled. The airport, which opened in 2007 at a cost of one trillion won including construction of access roads, reportedly lost 7.1 billion won ($6.3 million) in 2010 and some 4.5 billion won in the first six months last year. Yangyang on the east coast, completed 10 years ago at a cost of 356.7 billion won, was once dubbed by a local newspaper as a "ghost airport". It currently has three inbound and three outbound flights per week. The Korea Airports Corporation, operator of the 14 provincial airports, said together they achieved a profit of 120 billion won last year. But this was thanks to profits made by just three of the total -- Seoul's Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju on the southern tourist island. Incheon is managed by a different corporation. "We cannot simply shut down local airports just because they are in the red. They serve as key infrastructure and contribute to bolstering local industries," Muan airport CEO Han Keum-Hyun told AFP. "Muan airport plays key roles in the development of the southwestern region, especially in attracting investments in manufacturing, tourism and leisure and international events such as the 2012 Yeosu Expo," he said.