Roh Administration "Positive Review" of Suwon Emergency Runway Closure; Lee Administration "Cannot Permit" — "Did Government Position Change Just Because Administration Changed?"

Regarding the closure of Suwon's emergency runway, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have effectively announced a "cannot permit" stance (see Suwon Ilbo, June 11), while local residents and political circles are unable to hide their disappointment.

In particular, expectations for the closure had risen following former Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo's remarks about "positive review," but as administrations changed, the position reversed sharply, leading to a loss of trust among residents toward the government.

According to the city and Air Force units, the Defense Ministry, which had promised a "positive review," withheld policy decisions for several months before recently notifying Suwon City by phone of its "cannot permit stance," citing increased necessity of the emergency runway.

A city official stated that "the Joint Chiefs of Staff have closed all emergency runways on expressways, making the necessity of Suwon's emergency runway even greater, so it cannot be closed."

In fact, the Joint Chiefs had closed all five emergency runways on expressways installed in 2005 for emergency aircraft landings: Singal on the Gyeongbu Expressway (Suwon, Gyeonggi Province), Seunghwan (Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province), Gumi (Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province), Eunyang (Ulsan Metropolitan City) areas, and Jeongeup on the Honam Expressway (Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province).

The Air Force unit is also known to have had no proper discussion yet regarding the closure of the emergency runway, adding further credibility to concerns.

Last September, Representative Kim Jin-pyo (Youngtong), former Representative Lee Ki-woo (17th term, Gwonseon), and Suwon Mayor Kim Yong-seo met with former Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and recommended closing the emergency runway, at which time Minister Kim promised to "positively review it."

The city submitted closure recommendation documents to the Defense Ministry and Joint Chiefs twice, but has yet to receive an official response.

As this news spread, residents near the emergency runway could not hide their disappointment.

Since 1973, residents have suffered property rights damage for 36 years after the area from Daehwang-gyo-dong, Gwonseon-gu to Jin-an-ri, Tae-an-eup, Hwaseong City—a 2.7-kilometer stretch—was designated as Zone 1 of the military aircraft emergency runway under the Team Spirit exercise. Moreover, with an Air Force airfield located only about 2 kilometers away, they have endured double regulations such as height restrictions and noise pollution.

One resident living near National Route 1 said, "I lost sleep last year with the possibility of closure, I was so pleased," and protested, stating "If I must continue to suffer because of an emergency runway that has never been used even once, I would participate in the impeachment of the Lee Myung-bak government."

Kwon Mo, a resident of Daehwang-gyo-dong, also said, "The Lee Myung-bak government is lenient toward the United States, which sells beef contaminated with mad cow disease, but is cold toward residents suffering because of the emergency runway," adding "the current government, which is strong against the weak, has no prospects, so we can only place hope in the next administration."

The political circles, which made airfield relocation and emergency runway closure major campaign promises, are equally bewildered.

Representative Kim Jin-pyo's side, who took the lead in pursuing the emergency runway closure, expressed dismay, saying "We first heard the news through Suwon Newspaper and were quite perplexed," and stated "We will examine the exact circumstances with the Defense Ministry and Joint Chiefs and seek countermeasures."

Suwon City, facing the strong possibility that the greatest long-cherished wish of residents in southern Suwon could come to nothing, is also grappling with measures to "resume discussions on emergency runway closure."
The city believes that "closure discussions" can only be resumed if review is conducted at the political and central government level regarding the Joint Chiefs' decision, and plans to continue consultations by meeting with political figures and central government officials in the future.

A city official stated "We will first examine residents' sentiment to stabilize public opinion, and will persuade the government and Defense Ministry by informing them of the necessity of the closure."