◀ Anchor ▶
The National Parks Committee under the Ministry of Environment made a decision last month to release land the size of 94 soccer fields from the national park in Heuksando, a national park.
The value as a national park has not changed, but there is only one reason for the release, to build an airport.
This is the first time the government has made a decision to release a national park to build large facilities.
Taking this decision as an opportunity, the MBC Climate and Environment Team covered national parks in crisis, where development pressure is increasing.
As the first order of business today, reporter Ryu Hyun-joon visited Heuksando Island.
◀ Report ▶
Heuksando is surrounded by deep green forests and is illuminated by black light throughout the year.
Boasting an outstanding landscape and ecosystem, the island is well-known in Jeong Yak-jeon’s famous book ‘Jasaneobo’.
It is also a precious island where more than 400 species of migratory birds that come and go from the Arctic Circle and subtropical regions rest and recover their energy.
So most of the island except for the town and port is a national park.
[홍길표/국립공원공단 국립공원연구원 팀장]
″(Heuksando Island) is a representative stopover for migratory birds visiting Korea. (Endangered Wildlife) A total of 15 species of Tier 2 birds were observed, including the bird charmer.″
On the 31st of last month, the National Park Committee of the Ministry of Environment decided to exclude part of Heuksando from the national park.
The area to be excluded is 683,000 square meters.
It is 94 times the area of a soccer field.
An airport will be built on the site of the national park, with a runway 1.2 km long and 30 m wide and a terminal.
The environmental impact assessment process remains, but in non-national parks the process is far less stringent.
Criticism comes out that the committee paved the way for airport construction.
[정인철/국립공원을 지키는 시민들의 모임 사무국장]
″There is no case where a national park has been released for a specific development project.″
However, in 2018, the judgment of the National Park Committee of the Ministry of Environment was different.
The coverage team exclusively obtained undisclosed documents prepared by the Ministry of Environment in 2018 following deliberation on the feasibility of Heuksan Airport.
The operators evaluated the vegetation grade as 3rd grade or lower, but 28% of the areas with 1st grade in ecological nature.
It is questionable whether there are many people who would spend 800,000 won on airfare for a family of four on an island with fewer tourist resources than Jeju Island.
It is said that the ecological value damaged by the airport construction is 1.7 trillion won over 30 years, but it was omitted from the economic analysis.
The committee strongly pointed out these problems, and the operator withdrew the deliberation, and the airport construction plan was suspended.
Four and a half years later, the newly formed National Parks Commission released the airport site from the National Park.
[정인철/국립공원을 지키는 시민들의 모임 사무국장]
″Procedural legitimacy is for business operators to supplement and submit the insufficient parts of business feasibility for deliberation. But ignoring all of these processes… ″
The National Parks Commission is composed of 11 members, including government and local government officials, and 14 civilian members appointed by the Minister of Environment.
It is a configuration that can be affected by government policy.
If the method of bypassing the existing procedure is used, there are concerns that there is nothing that can not be built in the national park.
Residents of Heuksan Island have mixed views on the airport.
At the public hearing, a resident said that the operation of emergency helicopters and freedom of movement would be expanded with an airport.
However, other residents say that what Heuksando needs more than an airport is bigger ships and more ships.
[김선복/흑산도 주민]
″If there is fog, if the boat can’t float anyway, the plane can’t float either.″
Some residents are concerned regarding noise damage and typhoon damage.
I came up to the planned site of the airport behind Yeri Port and saw it.
It is a mountain that serves as a windbreak for nearby villages during summer typhoons.
When the airport is built, this mountain will also be cut down.
The environment has not changed, but is this decision of the National Park Commission, which is right now and wrong then, okay?
Tomorrow we will look at the situation in other national parks.
This is Ryu Hyun-joon from MBC News.
Video coverage: Kim Jun-hyeong / Video editing: Jang Dong-jun
Video coverage: Kim Jun-hyeong / Video editing: Jang Dong-jun
