Politics · South Korea · 1 hr ago
Muan group calls for halt to early Gwangju military airport move
A committee representing residents across Muan is opposing an early move of Gwangju’s military airport to Muan.
The proposal under debate would let military and civilian planes share Muan International Airport’s runway.
The committee says the plan’s effects on flight safety, military operations, noise and the environment have not been checked.
It also wants lawmakers Song Young-gil and Park Sun-won to apologize for supporting an early move and, it says, misrepresenting residents’ demands.
The committee says a 1 trillion won support package was promised in a joint announcement by a six-party group in December last year.
It wants the government to disclose when and how the support will be delivered, who will pay and who will be responsible, along with details of national incentives and the priority move of Gwangju’s civilian airport.
A Muan civic committee called for an end to discussions on an early move of Gwangju’s military airport using a runway shared with civilian flights.
The committee also demanded apologies from Democratic Party lawmakers Song Young-gil and Park Sun-won over their comments supporting an early relocation.
It said the shared-runway proposal had not been assessed for aviation safety, military operations, noise or environmental effects.
The committee said a 1 trillion won support package was promised in a joint announcement by the government and local authorities.
It urged the government to disclose when and how the support and national incentives would be delivered, and who would be responsible.
- Who
- The Muan-wide Committee for Response to the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation.
- What
- It called for early-relocation discussions to stop and demanded apologies from two lawmakers.
- When
- October 21, 2026.
- Where
- Muan, South Korea.
- Why
- The committee said the shared-runway plan had not been assessed for safety and other impacts, and said lawmakers misrepresented residents’ demands.
Muan-wide Committee for Response to the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation
Song Young-gil and Park Sun-won
Shared runway
Muan-wide Committee for Response to the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation
The committee said the proposal had not been tested for aviation safety, military operations, noise or environmental effects.
Song Young-gil and Park Sun-won
The lawmakers supported early relocation; Song co-hosted a debate where the shared-runway proposal was raised.
Support conditions
Muan-wide Committee for Response to the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation
The committee said its 1 trillion won support demand was part of a government and local-authority commitment, not a precondition.
Song Young-gil and Park Sun-won
Park described Muan County’s support request as a precondition and asked residents to welcome the relocation, according to the committee.
A joint announcement by a six-party consultative body included a promise of 1 trillion won in support, according to the committee.
Song Young-gil co-hosted a debate where a shared-runway proposal was raised.
Park Sun-won spoke on KBS Gwangju about Muan County’s support request and asked residents to welcome the relocation, according to the committee.
The Muan committee called for early-relocation discussions to stop and demanded apologies from the lawmakers.
- Group
- Muan-wide Committee for Response to the Gwangju Military Airport Relocation
- Support amount
- 1 trillion won
- Debate date
- October 5, 2026
- Broadcast date
- October 15, 2026
- Call to halt
- October 21, 2026
1 source
What people are saying
Stop discussions of an early relocation using a runway at Muan International Airport shared by military and civilian flights
The shared-runway proposal raised at the debate co-hosted by Rep. Song on the 5th has not been assessed for aviation safety, military operations, noise or environmental impacts
The 1 trillion won support is a promise included in the joint announcement by the six-party consultative body, which included the government and local governments, on December 17 last year