Tidal flats of the Yellow Sea is one of the five extent tidal flats on this planet and encompass Korea(South and North) and China. The Yellow Sea has a shallow shelf and an archipelago with significant macrotidal conditions(4~9m). This tidal energy has enriched marine ecosystem, migratory birds from around the world, and more than 150 million people living nearby. These tidal flats are being endangered mainly because of aggressive reclamation and pollution.
One particularly notorious case of reclamation occurred in the Saemangeum area of the Yellow Sea tidal flats. After the completion of seawalls in Saemangeum in 2006, 93% of great knots(Calidris tenuirostris) that had migrated for Saemangeum starved to death in 2007, resulting in the permanent disappearance of one-third of the global population of great knots. The marine ecosystem in the vicinity collapsed, and the separated inland water turned into massive anaerobic rotten water.
Nevertheless, some parts of the Saemangeum tidal flats still serve as valuable habitats for birds. One such remaining tidal flat is Sura tidal flat, where dunlins (Calidris alpina) and bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) find nourishment during their migration from Southeast Asia and Australia to Alaska.
However, dunlins and bar-tailed godwits are now facing grave danger as the Korean government plans to construct a new airport in Sura tidal flat.
The idea of reclaiming the Saemangeum area originated in the 1991 presidential election campaign. A candidate (later president) made a promise to reclaim the area for development. This would be the largest construction project since the beginning of civilization on the Korean peninsula. The politicians falsely claimed that more land was needed for rice farming, despite rice consumption and the population of South Korea being predicted to decline, which is now happening. Another concern arose after a similar plan failed in the Sihwa area. Sihwa tidal flat, another extensive tidal flat in South Korea, was supposed to be converted into a freshwater lake through the construction of a seawall. However, the outcome was disastrous. After isolation from the sea, Sihwa tidal flat could not effectively purify organic materials from terrestrial sources and became a massive anaerobic rotten water body. The Korean government acknowledged its failure and opened the seawall to allow the tides to flow in and out of the Sihwa lake.
Tragically, the decision to complete the seawalls in Saemangeum in 2006 was made right after the Sihwa plan was recognized as a failure. Naturally, putrefaction was inevitable in the Saemangeum area, where two large rivers form an estuary and spread enormous amounts of organic substances from industrial, agricultural, and municipal sources.
Following the completion of the seawall in Saemangeum in 2010, the fishing community lost their homes, and over 1,000 species, including endangered birds and invertebrates, perished. However, the promised prosperity never materialized. In 2021, the Korean government admitted that the water quality in the freshwater lake of Saemangeum was worse than the 5th grade, rendering it unsuitable for any purpose. The Ministry of Environment (MoE) announced that the only solution is to open the floodgate full-time to allow seawater in. Although the MoE's opinion was not fully embraced, the frequency of floodgate openings was increased from once a day to twice a day, which is still inadequate.
To improve water quality, the breakwater should be lifted. The estimated annual value of water purification provided by Korean tidal flats is 14.2 trillion KRW (~11 billion USD), and this estimate does not even include the value of blue carbon or biodiversity.
There is no need for reclamation to create new land, as the demand for rice fields has decreased due to declining rice consumption in Korea. Moreover, there are numerous empty industrial complexes near Saemangeum. Despite these facts, the Korean government continues to fabricate new lies in an attempt to cover up previous ones. The plan to construct the Saemangeum New Airport on the Saemangeum tidal flat near Gunsan city is currently underway. The proposed site, Sura tidal flat, is the last remaining tidal flat of the Mangyung River, and it has been proven to be a valuable habitat for migratory birds. More than 40 endangered species, including storks, spoonbills, snipes, Korean golden frogs, Eurasian otters, milky fiddler crabs, and boreal digging frogs, call Sura tidal flat home.
The Korean tidal flats have received recognition for their outstanding universal value. In 2021, they were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, acknowledging their unique ecological and cultural significance. The plan for the Saemangeum New Airport was established before this registration and failed to incorporate the updated value of the tidal flats.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, Doc 9137) guidelines, any significant bird or wildlife attractant within a 13 km radius of an aerodrome should be assessed to reduce its attractiveness to birds and prevent the risk of birdstrikes (collisions between birds and aircraft). Factors outside the aerodrome, such as agricultural activity, fruit farming, poultry farms, fish farms, cattle markets, open garbage dumps in the vicinity, water sources, and other factors contributing to bird strikes, should also be managed, particularly within a 2-3 km radius (visual traffic zone) and within 13 km.
Despite the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MoLIT) of Korea being obligated to follow the ICAO guidelines and avoid building airports within a 13 km radius of bird attractants, the Saemangeum New Airport is planned to be constructed right on the bird attractant itself: Sura tidal flat. This plan is absolutely preposterous, dangerous, and a violation of the rules.
While the Ministry of Environment (MoE) is entrusted with the duty of protecting the environment and despite the presence of over 40 Critically Endangered (Endangered/Vulnerable) species, including those listed on the National Red List, it has neglected its responsibility by providing conditional agreement (essentially equivalent to agreement) with the airport construction plan of the MoLIT. In fact, Environmental Impact Assessments rarely halt construction projects in Korea and are often considered mere bureaucratic formalities.
In the context of the climate crisis, the importance of tidal flats for carbon fixation (blue carbon) is rising. Recent research revealed that approximately 13 million tons of carbon are stored in South Korea's tidal flats, absorbing 260,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. While tidal flats play a crucial role in carbon absorption, both the construction of an airport and the airport itself contribute to carbon emissions. The destruction of tidal flats and the construction of an airport simultaneously represent a double catastrophe. Furthermore, a new airport is unnecessary in the Saemangeum area, as the Gunsan airport is located just 1.7 kilometers away from Sura tidal flat and has been operating at a loss of approximately 3 billion KRW annually. The construction of the Saemangeum New Airport is purely exploitative.
South Korea is notorious as a "Climate villain," ranking 8th in global carbon emissions, 3rd in overseas coal investment, and 4th in carbon dioxide emissions per capita. The construction of a new airport would only contribute to additional carbon emissions and result in massive ecocide.
In the face of the climate crisis, the world is changing. Changi Airport in Singapore, the largest hub in Asia, has abandoned plans to expand its terminal, while Britain's proposal to increase the number of runways at Heathrow Airport has been deemed illegal due to its violation of government obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In April 2021, the French parliament approved a law prohibiting flights between cities that can be reached in less than 2.5 hours by high-speed train.
The Joint Action for Cancellation of Saemangeum New Airport (JA), an NGO advocating for the nullification of the plan, set up a sit-in tent a year ago and has been conducting an ongoing sit-in protest indefinitely in front of the MoLIT and MoE. JA has also filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court to annul this plan. More petitions are needed to demonstrate to the judges the importance of preserving the tidal flats and the injustice of the airport plan.
JA urges global citizens to undersign and leave a message showing their support (including demands for the annulment of the plan). Additionally, please share this petition as widely as possible.
Contact: savesura2021@gmail.com
