Gyeonggi International Airport and Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad on the Line…Gyeonggi Province National Assembly Audit Under Spotlight

Major transportation infrastructure projects in Gyeonggi Province, including the Gyeonggi International Airport and Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad, are drawing attention ahead of the National Assembly audit. In particular, attention is focused on how related issues will be addressed, as Democratic Party Rep. Yeom Tae-young (Suwon District), who previously served as vice governor for economy and promoted the construction of Gyeonggi International Airport, is participating as an audit committee member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Committee.

According to the National Assembly and Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 19, the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Committee is conducting a state audit of the province on the same day. In this audit, the promotion status of major projects linked to government policies and national plans, including the Gyeonggi International Airport, Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad, Seoul Metropolitan Express (GTX), and new city development, are expected to be examined.

Among these, the Gyeonggi International Airport is a project closely related to Rep. Yeom.

Rep. Yeom served as vice governor for economy of Gyeonggi Province from August 2022 to December 2023, during which he promoted the construction of Gyeonggi International Airport, which was a key pledge of then-Governor Kim Dong-yeon.

The province established the Gyeonggi International Airport Promotion Task Force and enacted related ordinances to lay the groundwork for project promotion. The Gyeonggi International Airport Promotion Task Force was organized as a direct subordinate organization of the vice governor for economy.

Rep. Yeom also attended a National Assembly seminar on Gyeonggi International Airport construction held in December 2023 during his tenure as vice governor for economy, emphasizing the necessity of the project. The province presented a plan to develop Gyeonggi International Airport as an air logistics hub for high-tech industries in southern Gyeonggi, such as semiconductors.

However, Gyeonggi International Airport still faces challenges in site selection and reflection in national plans.

The province reviewed three sites—Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Icheon—as preliminary candidates, but faced setbacks in subsequent procedures due to fairness concerns and suspension of related research projects. Whether the project will be reflected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan is also a key variable in project promotion.

Rep. Yeom urged the province to make efforts to reflect the project in national plans during a provincial audit last October, noting that Gyeonggi International Airport should be developed as a logistics hub-type airport for the semiconductor and IT industries.

As the project he promoted as vice governor for economy is being reviewed again in his capacity as a National Assembly member, attention is focused on what questions will be raised regarding the causes of project delays and the province's future response measures.

The Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad is also an issue on which Rep. Yeom has consistently raised the necessity in the National Assembly.

The Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad is a metropolitan railroad project connecting from Jamsil in Seoul through Seongnam, Yongin, and Suwon to Bongdam in Hwaseong. It is being jointly promoted by four local governments—Seongnam, Yongin, Suwon, and Hwaseong—and is requesting reflection in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

Rep. Yeom urged the reflection of the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad in the national railway network during a confirmation hearing for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok in July last year. He also demanded realization of construction costs and prompt normalization of project operations for the GTX-C project.

The Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad is being emphasized by local governments as necessary based on their own feasibility study results, but it can only lead to actual construction after being reflected in national plans and going through subsequent procedures.

GTX-C, having entered the construction phase after prolonged project delays, is pointed out as an inspection target for project management, project costs, and opening schedules.

Other pending issues that require cooperation between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Gyeonggi Province include housing supply for the third-phase new cities, metropolitan traffic measures, redevelopment of first-phase new cities, and establishment of transportation networks for the Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex.

In particular, in this audit, National Assembly members from Gyeonggi Province districts, including Rep. Yeom, are participating as audit committee members. As local district issues are intertwined with transportation and housing policies for the entire Gyeonggi Province, attention is focused on whether questions will be raised regarding project implementation results and responses to reflect projects in national plans.