1. ‘Welcome City’ project discarded
Plan included 5,000 residential units near Jeju International Airport

The governor has opted not to proceed with the plan to build a new neighborhood near Jeju International Airport.

The so-called Welcome City would have had 5,000 residential units.

Provincial council member Kim Hwang-kuk asked Governor Won Hee-ryong about the project Tuesday during a question and answer session at the council. The governor responded by saying that a decision had been made not to move ahead with it. That was the first official acknowledgement that the project had been canceled.

Mr. Won said the proposed high-density development was not in line with what his administration was looking for. He also argued that the plan went too far in attempting to boost the added value of the area, which is restricted from some kinds of development.

The governor said that the government needs to come up with a way to allow organized development of the five neighborhoods around the airport that remain relatively isolated in the middle of Jeju City.

원 지사 "제주공항 '웰컴시티' 사업 폐기"

제주공항 주변에 5천 세대 규모로 신도시를 조성하는 내용의 웰컴시티 개발 사업이 폐기됐습니다.

원희룡 제주도지사는 4일 도정질문에서 김황국 의원의 질의에 대한 답변을 통해 제주공항 주변지역 개발계획 구상안은 내부에서 확정적으로 폐기한 개념이라며 사업 폐기 입장을 처음으로 공식화했습니다.

원 지사는 5천 세대 주거단지와 고밀도 개발은 제주도가 원래 요구한 용역 취지와 맞지 않고 용역진이 제한된 토지에 부가가치를 많이 넣으려다 보니 지나치게 나갔다고 설명했습니다.

그러면서 제주공항 인근 5개 마을이 도심 속 벽지로 고립됐던 부분에 대해서는 어떻게 질서있는 개발을 할 것인가가 숙제라고 덧붙였습니다.