South Korea proposes relocating joint air base to build semiconductor complex

South Korea is proposing to relocate a military air base used by the South Korean and U.S. air forces and build a semiconductor manufacturing complex on the site.

Gwangju Air Base, roughly 190 miles south of Seoul, serves as a South Korea-U.S. Air Force collocated operating base. It shares the airfield with Gwangju Airport, which operates commercial flights. 

The U.S. Air Force may rapidly deploy assets at the base during a conflict without permanently stationing a large force there.

The government plans to develop the Honam Semiconductor Industrial Complex at the site, according to a briefing June 6 by Kang Hoon-sik, the South Korean president’s chief of staff.

The complex would expand South Korea’s semiconductor industry beyond Seoul and create an integrated supply chain in the Honam area, which includes Gwangju.

The Ministry of National Defense in a Facebook post April 2 named Muan county, about 27 miles southwest of Gwangju, as a preliminary candidate for a replacement air base. The ministry did not specify whether the air base would share an airfield with Muan International Airport. 

The South Korean government is proposing to relocate Gwangju Air Base, a South Korea-U.S. Air Force collocated operating base roughly 205 miles south of Seoul, to build a semiconductor manufacturing complex. (Donald Dugger/U.S. Marine Corps)

The decision to relocate the base is preliminary and the South Korean government will consult with the national air force and U.S. officials, said Defense Ministry spokeswoman Chung Binna at a press briefing on Monday.

The government will review various angles to ensure it can “maintain military readiness and minimize any security gaps aligning with national policy,” Chung said.

Gwangju city has pushed to relocate the airport for years, citing noise pollution and financial strain, according to the Gwangju Metropolitan Government’s 2024 white paper.

The city submitted its relocation proposal in October 2014 to the Defense Ministry, which said it would consider the request in August 2016.

The Gwangju airport occupies approximately 2,042 acres, and because the ground has already been leveled, the time required to build the manufacturing complex is minimized, Kang said in the briefing.

Although only a few dozen U.S. airmen are assigned to Gwangju Air Base during peacetime, they maintain the installation’s 250 acres of war reserve material, according to a Feb. 22, 2022, article by the 7th Air Force.

Maj. Laura Hayden, spokeswoman for the 7th Air Force, in a Yonhap News Agency report Friday, said the command has “important military interests” at the air base and will continue “close coordination with the [South Korean Air Force] to ensure all requirements are met and our strong combined readiness posture is maintained.”

Hayden referred Stars and Stripes’ email request for comment Monday to U.S. Forces Korea.

USFK does not comment on “host nation pre-decisional policy matters,” spokeswoman Choi Min-jung said by email Monday.

“USFK remains committed to maintaining a ready and capable force on the Korean Peninsula and a strong combined defense posture with our ROK [South Korea] ally,” Choi said.