The plan to build a new international airport on the southern island of Jeju is likely to gain momentum.

The environment ministry said on Monday that it agreed to conduct "conditional consultation" on a strategic environment impact assessment report submitted by the ministry of land, infrastructure and transport on the project. The environment ministry said it notified the land ministry of the decision. 

The environment ministry rejected the first environment impact assessment report presented by the land ministry in 2019.

In July 2021, the environment ministry turned down the report, citing lack of measures to protect birds and their habitat affected by the new airport as well as inadequate and defective tests on aircraft noise. 

The strategic environment impact assessment is a procedure to review the feasibility of a location from an environmental point of view when establishing an administrative plan in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act.