Gyeongbuk Province to Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for 'Ulleung Airport' on 27th... Korea's First Airport for Small Aircraft Operations

Aerial view of Ulleung Airport.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] Gyeongsangbuk-do announced on the 16th that the groundbreaking ceremony for Ulleung Airport has been scheduled for the 27th.

Ulleung Airport, planned to open in 2025, will feature a 1.2 km runway capable of accommodating small aircraft with fewer than 50 seats, as well as a passenger terminal. The total project cost amounts to 663.3 billion KRW.

Starting from November, as winter approaches and the waves in the East Sea grow higher, the number of cancellations of passenger ferries traveling to and from Ulleung Island increases. According to Gyeongbuk Province, the passenger ferry, the only means of transportation connecting Ulleung Island to the mainland, is canceled about 100 days annually due to high waves.

Especially during the winter months with high waves, the 10,000 residents of Ulleung are trapped on the island, unable to come or go, which is why the construction of the airport has been a long-cherished project for the residents.

The Ulleung Airport construction project, initiated 40 years ago in 1981 through government proposals by Gyeongsangbuk-do and Ulleung-gun, 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.

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

The Airside part of Ulleung Airport (runway, apron, taxiway, etc.) will be constructed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Busan Regional Aviation Administration), while the Landside part (passenger terminal, parking lot, etc.) will be built by Korea Airports Corporation. The construction process will proceed in the order of relocating the Ulleung Island ring road, marine reclamation, and structural works such as the runway. The passenger terminal built by Korea Airports Corporation will be completed in time for the airport opening.

Once Ulleung Airport opens, travel time from Seoul, which currently takes 7 to 8 hours, will be reduced to under an hour, significantly improving the quality of life for Ulleung residents.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, stated, "The construction of Ulleung Airport will greatly benefit local residents in terms of transportation services, tourism activation, and emergency patients," adding, "It will also contribute significantly to national interests not only from the perspective of transportation welfare but also in terms of national security and maritime territorial protection."

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