E2024-G060

Gwangju Airport: The Beginning of the City’s Air Route

Narrative

In 1939, during the Japanese colonial period, the opening of the Sangmu Airfield marked the beginning of air transportation in Gwangju. The Japanese Navy Air Corps, known as the Gwangju Air Corps, was stationed there, and nearby on Sawolsan Mountain, underground storage facilities were constructed to hold fuel and bombs for airfield operations. After Korea’s liberation, the airfield was renamed Gwangju Airfield and continued to serve military purposes. With the growing demand for civil aviation, it was later expanded into a joint military and civilian airport. In 1964, it was relocated to Sinchon-dong and renamed Gwangju Airport. Today, it is home to the Republic of Korea Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing. The airport once operated both domestic and international flights, but its international routes were transferred to Muan International Airport. Located near Sangmu-daero Road, Gwangju Airport remains a symbolic site that embodies the modern history of Gwangju, tracing its transformation from a wartime military base to a modern air transport hub.