The Jeonbuk Environmental Movement Union issued a statement on the 24th, claiming, "Abandon the appeal for the Saemangeum project, which is far from the interests of the residents, and conduct a thorough reevaluation of the Saemangeum International Airport project."

Previously, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit canceling the basic plan for the development of the Saemangeum New Airport project, stating that it was illegal for the basic plan to be finalized without sufficient environmental impact assessment and public opinion gathering processes. In particular, the court criticized the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for neglecting environmental and safety reviews and pushing forward with the project without considering alternatives.

The Board of Audit and Inspection also pointed out numerous procedural flaws in the validity assessment and basic plan formulation process of the Saemangeum New Airport last year. Specifically, it was noted that key issues were not resolved during consultations with the Ministry of Environment, safety reviews, such as bird collision risks, were inadequate, and the economic analysis was deemed to have been conducted in a biased manner. The formalities of public hearings and opinion gathering processes were also highlighted as problematic.

The Environmental Movement Union proposed, "Let's not cling to the outdated logic of development that relies on traditional paths but instead make Saemangeum a central space for the carbon-neutral era of the climate crisis. Let's shift the focus of the Saemangeum project towards proactive transformation, formulate future industrial strategies, reevaluate the necessity of the new airport, and establish a public discourse mechanism to consider alternatives that benefit both Jeonbuk and the nation."