Mutual Suspicion over the Incheon International Airport Case

There arise a new suspicion over the airport case. During the recent process to select a priority negotiating partner, the president of Incheon International Public Corporation Kang Dong-Suk allegedly tried to give a privilege to a certain corporation by lengthening the land-use period by 10 years.

The former chief of development and business of Incheon Airport Corp., Lee Sang-Hoo said on the 9th, ``On the 14th of May, Mr. Kang ordered to search for a plan to lengthen the land-use period of the fifth airstrip in the executive committee. And that was around two months after the public announcement had made for the selection of a priority negotiating partner.``

The proposed preserved land for the fifth airstrip (80 thousands pyong) will be used as a golf course until there are considerable increase in the usage of the airport.

Mr. Lee said, `` I did not follow Mr. Kang`s order because of the regulations explicated in the two plans of operation of Airport Corp. and of the Ministry of Construction and Transportation.`` He also added, ``I am suspicious whether there is any secret contract concerning the idle land rent and/or extension of the period of the land. Maybe this is why now Chong Wa Dae is suspected to have been involved in the process of the selection.``

Since the request of the change of the proposed plan can generate problems concerning fairness in the case of public corporations, Mr. Kang`s request is unusual.

In response, Airport Corp. said, ``we wanted to have more companies for competition so that we can get advantage from it; the short period of the land-use was a big huddle for many companies. They were reluctant to invest Officetel, Hotel, or the shopping malls.`` The airport official also added, ``We do not know yet whether the fifth airstrip will be constructed or not. It depends on the future demand.``

In the mean time, Mr. Kang submitted a report to Sul Sung-Woung manager of the Ministry of Construction and Transportation (Democratic Party), saying, ``Lee, former chief decided WonIk Corp., did not submit the completed papers by changing the item of `the land rent` to `the period of the land-use`.``

According to the report, the original plan of operation by the airport (distributed in March) explicates the item of the `land rent`, however, it was changed to `the period of the land-use` in the plan of operation appraised by Mr. Lee. The plan was submitted on the day before the dead line, the 21st of June.

Incheon Airport Public Corp. is suspicious about the change since there is a possibility for Mr. Lee to have done that in order to help Wonik Corp. Incheon Airport is considering the prosecution if any impure intention is disclosed. Mr. Lee responded, ``Since there are too many standards of appraisal, my team may have made a mistake.``

jinhup@donga.com