Gwangju Military Airport Relocation TF to Hold First Meeting Mid-Month... Will an Agreement Be Reached?

Government and Local Authorities to Discuss Details of Mediation Plan
City: "Financial Burden Is Heavy... Support from Public Capital Management Fund Needed"

The first meeting of the task force (TF) to discuss the relocation of the Gwangju military airport is scheduled to be held in Gwangju in the middle of this month, drawing attention to whether the government and local governments will be able to further develop the mediation plan shared during preliminary consultations.

According to Gwangju City and other sources on the 7th, the TF for the military airport relocation will include Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, Muan County, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. While the exact date has not been determined, the meeting is expected to take place as early as the third week of this month in Gwangju.

On the 19th of last month, after holding a meeting in Seoul to discuss the issue of integrating and relocating Gwangju's civilian and military airports, a commemorative photo was taken. From left to right: Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province; Kang Kijeong, Mayor of Gwangju; Kim San, Mayor of Muan County; Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office. Provided by Gwangju City

This meeting is a follow-up to the preliminary consultation on the integration and relocation of Gwangju's civilian and military airports, which was chaired by Kim Yongbeom, Director of Policy Office at the Presidential Office, on November 19. At that time, Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province; Kang Kijeong, Mayor of Gwangju; and Kim San, Mayor of Muan County, attended and shared the government's mediation plan.

During the first TF meeting, detailed plans for the integration and relocation of the military and civilian airports will be discussed, focusing on the mediation plan proposed during the preliminary consultation. The government’s mediation plan reportedly includes: ▲ the advance relocation of Gwangju’s civilian airport to Muan in connection with the opening of the second phase of the Honam High-Speed Railway; ▲ a 1 trillion won support package for local residents; and ▲ the provision of national-level incentives. Since the Presidential Office, Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, and Muan County have already reached a broad consensus on the mediation plan, there are expectations that an agreement could be reached at the first meeting.

Another point of interest is whether Gwangju City’s recently submitted official request to the government for a “plan to reduce financial expenses” will be included in the agreement. Gwangju City estimates that if the military airport relocation proceeds as a long-term project spanning at least eight years, annual financial expenses could reach several trillion won. A city official stated, “It is difficult for Gwangju City to bear all the financial expenses,” and requested government support.

Gwangju City has proposed to the government that the military airport relocation project be financed through the Public Capital Management Fund (PCMF), which is managed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The PCMF serves as a fiscal adjustment mechanism by integrating surplus funds from the central government, local governments, and public institutions and lending them to institutions in need. Gwangju City explained that utilizing the PCMF could significantly reduce financial expenses and that it would be possible to repay the loans with project profits after completion.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defense has only notified local governments of the total amount of surplus funds from the donation-for-compensation scheme in its cost estimate for the Gwangju military airport relocation. The specific amount remains undisclosed, and it is unclear whether financial expenses are included. However, based on the 1 trillion won support for Muan County (300 billion won from the government, 150 billion won from Gwangju City, and 550 billion won from the donation-for-compensation fund), the surplus is estimated to be in the 500 billion won range. Gwangju City believes that if the PCMF can be utilized, it would be easier to increase the surplus and fulfill the 1 trillion won support for Muan County.

The government, given that the project cost amounts to several trillion won, is reportedly considering the need for fairness with other military airport relocation projects, such as those in Daegu. Accordingly, Gwangju City plans to propose at the first TF meeting that at least the “direction of support” be included in the agreement, with specific methods to be determined during the course of the project.

The Gwangju military airport relocation TF plans to hold its first meeting in the middle of this month and attempt to reach an agreement based on the contents of the preliminary consultation.

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