Government Officially Starts Construction of Ulleung Airport... Seoul-Ulleung Travel Time Reduced from 7 Hours to 1 Hour

Aerial view of Ulleung Airport (Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The government is set to commence the actual construction of the Ulleung Airport project, aiming for its opening in 2025. Once completed, travel time between Seoul and Ulleung will be reduced from 7 hours to 1 hour.

On the 15th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the environmental impact assessment consultation for the Ulleung Airport construction project has been completed, allowing the project to enter the actual construction phase with a target opening in 2025.

Ulleung Airport will serve small aircraft with fewer than 50 seats. The total project cost is 665.1 billion KRW, and it will include a 1,200-meter runway and a passenger terminal.

The Ulleung Airport construction project completed a preliminary feasibility study in 2013, announced the basic plan in 2015, completed the basic design in 2017, and finalized the establishment of the Pohang-Ulleung air route and total project cost last May.

Subsequently, the project was commissioned through a basic design technical proposal bidding method, and in December last year, Daelim Industrial Consortium was selected as the qualified party for the detailed design. After completing the detailed design, the contract was signed in July.

Ulleung Airport will be built as a safe airport minimizing flight cancellations, a multifunctional complex airport encompassing both public and private sectors, a resilient airport capable of withstanding waves exceeding a 250-year frequency, a robust airport with enhanced structural durability and foundation stability, and an airport that coexists harmoniously with local residents.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been promoting the construction of small airports in island areas since 2011 by incorporating them into the '4th Mid-to-Long-Term Comprehensive Airport Development Plan' to connect island regions, which cannot have bridges built, more safely and conveniently to the mainland via long sea routes.

The construction of small airports in island areas not only expands the living areas of local residents, improving quality of life through better access to medical care, education, and welfare, but also provides diverse leisure activities for the public and positively impacts the activation of the small aircraft industry, including 50-seat aircraft.

Once Ulleung Airport opens, travel time between Seoul and Ulleung will be shortened from 7 hours to within 1 hour, enhancing mobility for local residents and contributing to the revitalization of tourism on Ulleungdo.

Kim Sangdo, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, explained, "With the completion of the environmental impact assessment consultation, which enables the actual start of the project, full-scale project promotion has become possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.