"Pohang Airport → Pohang Gyeongju Airport" ... Pohang City and Gyeongju City Propose Name Change to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Pohang Mayor Lee Gang-deok: "Low Usage Due to Naming Limitations"

From the left, Kim Jae-dong, Chairman of Pohang Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jeong Hae-jong, Chairman of Pohang City Council; Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang; Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Pohang; Kim Seok-ki, Member of the National Assembly from Gyeongju; Seo Ho-dae, Chairman of Gyeongju City Council; Choi Soon-ho, Chairman of Gyeongju Chamber of Commerce and Industry. /Pohang City

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] On the 23rd, Pohang City and Gyeongju City in Gyeongbuk adopted a petition at the POSCO International Hall requesting the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to change the name of Pohang Airport.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang and Mayor Joo Nak-young of Gyeongju signed the petition to change the airport name, which will be delivered to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and promised to closely collaborate between the two cities to revitalize the airport.

This petition to change the airport name follows the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's announcement last December at the National Policy Issue Inspection and Coordination Meeting that "if necessary, the names of local airports can be changed in connection with well-known cultural heritage and tourist resources."

While there are various cases overseas, if Pohang Airport is renamed Pohang Gyeongju Airport domestically, it will become the first airport named after nearby tourist destinations.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang said, "Although Pohang Airport is a major transportation infrastructure in Gyeongbuk, its usage rate has been low due to accessibility and the regional nature of its name," adding, "From now on, we will develop it into a transportation facility that practically helps domestic tourists visiting Gyeongju and, furthermore, international tourists, and nurture it as a hub airport for the East Sea region."

Meanwhile, according to a survey on airport name changes conducted by Gyeongbuk Province targeting 212 local residents (109 from Pohang, 103 from Gyeongju), the preference order was Pohang Gyeongju Airport 42%, Silla Airport 26%, and Gyeongju Pohang Airport 21%.

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