Promoting the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation and Muan Airport Linkage Plan

The government is in earnest discussions about relocating Gwangju Military Airport in connection with the creation of a new semiconductor industrial complex in the Honam region. Gwangju Military Airport is an Air Force base established in 1964, and currently the Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing and domestic commercial flights use it together. It has already been agreed that the commercial flights will be moved to Muan International Airport once the second phase of the Honam Line KTX project is completed. As for the military airport, the Ministry of National Defense has designated areas near Muan Airport as a preliminary relocation candidate site, and the Muan area is being considered as the final candidate site. Once the relocation site is finalized, the Ministry of National Defense and the relevant local governments in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province will draw up surrounding support plans and make a final decision through a 주민투표 procedure. However, it could take 6 to 7 years to complete the new military airport, so if the Gwangju Military Airport site is to be used first as a semiconductor industrial complex, related legal revisions and various regulatory adjustments will be necessary.