The Yecheon-gun county office building. [Yecheon-gun]
The Yecheon-gun county office building. [Yecheon-gun]

Yecheon-gun in North Gyeongsang Province strongly protested Wednesday against a plan to temporarily relocate trainer aircraft from Gwangju Air Base to its local base.

The Air Force officially announced at a National Assembly National Defense Committee national audit held Wednesday that it plans to temporarily move two T-50 advanced trainer battalions from Gwangju Air Base to Yecheon Air Base to make way for a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region.

In response, Yecheon-gun issued a statement that day expressing deep regret over what it called a unilateral decision made without sufficient prior consultation with or input from local residents.

The county said it was not fair regional development to burden Yecheon with military facilities while providing the Honam region with a new growth engine in the form of a semiconductor cluster.

It also called on the government to swiftly draw up effective noise reduction and safety measures, as well as a pan-government support plan that includes concrete growth opportunities for Yecheon and the northern North Gyeongsang region — such as fostering advanced industries and attracting businesses.

Yecheon-gun County Mayor An Byeong-yun and Yecheon County Council Chairman Kim Hong-nyeon said the government must not force a one-sided sacrifice on any particular region in the name of national policy. "Corresponding compensation and opportunities for growth must be secured," they said. "We strongly urge the government to act responsibly."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com