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| ▲ The power of the people held a meeting of the on-site emergency response committee at the Busan Party on the 1st. On this day, Kim Jong-in visited Busan and announced his support for the new airport on Gadeok Island and the position of promoting the Korea-Japan Submarine Tunnel. | |
| Ⓒ Kim Bo-seong |
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Over the announcement of the sudden promotion of the Korea-Japan Submarine Tunnel by Kim Jong-in, chairman of the People’s Power Emergency Response Committee, mixed reactions from the ruling and opposition candidates for the Busan Mayor’s by-election and political circles.
In addition to Gadeok’s support, promoting the Korea-Japan submarine tunnel… arousing controversy
On the 1st, Kim Jong-in, chairman of the People’s Power Emergency Response Committee, visited Busan to unpack a gift bag that had been prepared for the support of Gadeok New Airport and the construction of the Hanil Submarine Tunnel. This is in line with the fact that Nak-yeon Lee, CEO of the Democratic Party, visited Busan on the 22nd and 28th of last month and promised to deal with the Gaduk New Airport Special Act in February.
Chairman Kim Jong-in announced that he will actively review the construction of the Korea-Japan submarine tunnel, which will invest tens of trillion won or more, due to lack of support at the Gadeok New Airport. He gave a rosy outlook, saying, “A tremendous economic effect is expected.”
In this plan, the preliminary candidate Lee Eon-ju is taking the most active steps, such as publicly expressing his support. This preliminary candidate visited the Busan City Council on this afternoon and held the’Gadeok Island New Airport Vision Declaration Ceremony’. He announced that “we will build an international airport on Gadeok-do to build a ‘5-port system’ such as the Hanil Submarine Tunnel-Road-Railway-Port-Airport.” “There are concerns, but it could be an opportunity for improvement,” he refuted.
However, the ruling party immediately followed criticism. In addition, Park In-young, the Democratic Party’s preliminary candidate, pointed out that “from the judgment of experts as well as the public, the Korea-Japan Submarine Tunnel is a project that is expected to monopolize long-term benefits in Japan.”
Preliminary candidate Park asked, “What is it that the Korean political party first pledges for a project in the concept stage without an official request from the Japanese government?” He specifically targeted candidate Lee Eon-ju and demanded that he withdraw the project review and commitment together, saying, “It’s like giving the Japanese government what it wants to say.”
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| ▲ “I will end the old politics” Former Busan city council chairman Park In-young strongly opposed the plan of the Korea-Japan Submarine Tunnel by Kim Jong-in, chairman of the National Power of the People. | |
| Ⓒ Kim Bo-seong |
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This issue also provoked disagreement among members of the National Assembly. Ha Tae-gyeong (Busan Haeundae-gap) National Strength Congressman, right after Chairman Kim Jong-in’s remarks, said at the emergency countermeasure committee meeting that day, “It is to present a vision from tri-port to tetra-port to the sea floor. .
On the other hand, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Jae-soo (Busan Bukgang Seogap) said, “I want to ask who it is for.” In a post posted on Facebook, former lawmaker said, “Is Busan Port okay? Is Gadeok New Airport okay? Will Eurasian Railways to be built in the future be okay? I am concerned that Busan will dismantle the logistics hub city that has been struggling for decades.” And expressed a negative view. He advised, “No matter how important the election is and the vote is urgent, this is not it,” he advised. “I hope you will look back to see if you thought it was with a sound mind.”
Criticism in line with Japan’s interests, Busan City stopped promoting in 2019
The Korea-Japan Undersea Tunnel is not a new plan, but an old issue. Before the 2000s, discussions continued in Japan, and in Korea, the proposal of the International Peace Expressway by President Sun-myeong Moon of the Unification Church was the beginning. After that, it became an issue several times in the Busan mayoral elections, but the city of Busan, which reviewed the project in 2019, declared that it was not effective and announced the suspension of the promotion. When looking at the progress of the process, Chairman Kim Jong-in’s remarks are a pledge of’rethinking’.
Looking inside the tunnel that connects Busan’s Gadeok Island and Fukuoka, it is 147km under the sea and a total length of 210km, which is much larger than the Euro Tunnel in the Dover Strait in England and France. It is estimated that only the budget that Korea will have to bear outside Japan is tens of trillions of won.
The Hanil Submarine Tunnel is located in the active fault zone of the Korean Strait, and there is a controversy about its safety, and the feasibility of investing in astronomical resources has not yet been verified. In addition, the criticism is that Busan can be turned into a simple base and that it only facilitates Japan’s advancement to the continent without reflection on its past history.