[Report] Seoul to Ulleung 7 Hours → 1 Hour... Visiting Ulleung Airport Opening Air Route in 2026

A view of the passenger ferry terminal at Dodong Port, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongbuk (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

[Pohang·Ulleung=Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] "The travel time alone takes almost half a day. No matter how beautiful Ulleungdo is, I hesitate to visit again next time."

On the morning of the 9th, the passenger ship 'Sunrise' heading from Pohang to Ulleungdo was filled with people whose faces had turned pale. Despite the clear weather with not a single cloud and calm waves up to 1.8m, the ship rocked up and down for about four hours, causing seasickness for around 400 passengers.

The onboard restrooms, frequently used by passengers, had long been filled with vomit. On the floor, there were people collapsed from battling seasickness. Many passengers could not even get up from their seats, vomiting into bags or repeatedly making gagging sounds. When the announcement came that the ship would soon arrive at Dodong Port, Ulleungdo, a sense of relief washed over them. The grueling journey, which started from Seoul Station by KTX and continued by high-speed ferry for about eight hours, flashed through their minds, naturally leading to the thought, "It would be great if there were convenient air travel options."

Construction is in full swing on the site of Ulleung Airport. By 2025, the airport will be established over this sea. (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

The first caisson installed on the site of Ulleung Airport. About 20 meters of the caisson is submerged in the sea. (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

At Sadong Port in Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which was visited that day, construction of Ulleung Airport was in full swing. Ulleung Airport, which began construction in November 2020, had a progress rate of 20.4% as of the end of May, aiming for completion in December 2025 and opening in the first half of 2026. The airport site covers 430,000㎡ and is a small airport capable of accommodating four 50-seat light aircraft and two helicopters. A total project cost of 709.2 billion KRW has been invested, with DL E&C leading the construction.

Ulleung Airport is being built over the sea. The method involves creating a breakwater by stacking riprap and connecting caissons, then reclaiming the interior. With an average water depth of 23m, it is a challenging construction site and the first case of using the caisson method for airport construction. Caissons are concrete structures that serve as breakwaters. Each caisson is taller than a 10 to 12-story apartment, exceeding 20m in height. At Ulleung Airport, a breakwater will be formed by connecting 30 caissons in a row, including the largest caisson in Korea weighing 16,000 tons. After enclosing the area with the breakwater, all seawater inside will be removed,

and the interior will be filled with soil to create the airport site. Currently, one caisson has been installed in the sea at the Ulleung Airport site. At Pohang Yeongilman Port, the second and third caissons are being prepared for transport.

Once the caissons and riprap breakwater are installed, about 20m of additional soil will be added on top to firmly compact the ground to a height of 23 to 24m. This ensures safety to withstand waves up to 16m high, such as those from Typhoon Maysak in 2020, which caused significant damage nationwide. The 9.15 million㎡ of soil needed for the marine reclamation will be secured by cutting down Gadubong, a 198m-high mountain near the construction site. On the 430,000㎡ airport site, a 1,200m-long runway, apron, passenger terminal, and parking lot will be built.

Caisson manufacturing site in Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk. (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

Caissons are manufactured in Pohang and transported across the sea to the Ulleung Airport site. When three caissons are completed approximately every two months, they are connected to a floating dock (F/D) and towed out to sea. Then, they are linked to tugboats and transported repeatedly to the construction site. Weather is the most critical factor in caisson transport. It takes about 52 hours just to move a caisson, and to complete transport and marine installation, five consecutive days of clear sea weather and calm waves are required. Caisson transport operations are conducted only from April to October, spanning seven months each year. On the day of the visit, the manufacturing process for the 4th to 7th caissons was underway.

Travel from Seoul to Ulleung in 1 Hour... Residents' Expectations Grow

Once Ulleung Airport opens, the journey from Seoul to Ulleungdo, which currently takes 7 to 8 hours, will be drastically reduced to one hour. The travel, which involved changing trains, buses, and ships and caused seasickness, will be resolved with a single flight. Especially since ships are heavily affected by weather and waves, with a cancellation rate of 22.1%, many travelers had no choice but to turn back. However, with air service, cancellations are expected to drop significantly to 8.7%, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The government also estimates that by 2035, annual air passenger demand will reach 940,000, with peak hour passenger volume at 366.

Ulleung Airport is also a boon for Ulleungdo residents. Previously, travel restrictions were severe, and emergency patient transport was often difficult. Additionally, increased tourism demand will facilitate regional development. In fact, the government projects that the construction of Ulleung Airport will generate about 980 billion KRW in production inducement effects and approximately 360 billion KRW in added value inducement effects. Kwak In-gil, head of Sadong 2-ri, said, "With the airport, rapid response will be possible even in emergencies, and the number of tourists will greatly increase, revitalizing the local economy."

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