KB News Desk
South Korea on Friday formally selected Muan as the candidate site for the relocation of Gwangju Air Base as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s plan to develop a major semiconductor industrial cluster on the existing military airport site.
The Defense Ministry’s relocation site selection committee approved an area in Mangun-myeon, Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, as the official candidate site during a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back.
The area had been designated as the preliminary candidate site in April.
The decision does not constitute final approval for the relocation. The government will draw up a support plan for communities surrounding the proposed site before holding public consultations and a resident vote in Muan.
If the Muan county chief submits a formal application to host the military airport based on the vote, the committee will make a final decision on the relocation site. The government aims to complete the process by the end of the year.
“This selection of the relocation candidate site marks a historic step forward not only in resolving a regional issue that has continued for decades, but also in promoting balanced regional development,” Ahn said.
The relocation of the military airport, home to the South Korean Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing, has been discussed for years amid complaints over aircraft noise and restrictions on urban development around the Gwangju base.
The project had stalled amid opposition from prospective host communities and disagreements over compensation and development incentives.
Muan had called for several conditions to be met before cooperating with the relocation, including the transfer of Gwangju’s civilian airport operations to Muan International Airport and a government support package worth about 1 trillion won ($728 million).
The relocation gained fresh momentum under the Lee administration’s plan to turn the current Gwangju military airport site into a semiconductor industrial cluster, and Gwangju and South Jeolla Province merged in July to form Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitian City.
President Lee earlier this month instructed the Defense Ministry to temporarily relocate military functions at Gwangju Air Base to other bases by mid-2028, allowing development of the semiconductor cluster to begin before a new military airport in Muan is completed.
The military is reviewing plans to temporarily relocate aircraft, personnel and other functions while minimizing any impact on operational readiness.
A resident vote in Muan is expected to be the next major step in the relocation process.
