President Lee Jae Myung ordered the temporary relocation of the Gwangju military air base's functions to other airports to facilitate semiconductor development.
The move represents a massive shift in land use to prioritize the nation's technological infrastructure over existing military footprints. By clearing the site, the government aims to accelerate the construction of the Honam Semiconductor fab, and associated artificial intelligence mega-projects.
During a follow-up meeting on Monday, the president directed the Ministry of National Defense to move the base's operations to other military airports by mid-2028 [1, 2]. This timeline is intended to ensure the site is available for the 800-trillion-won [1] project.
"The Ministry of National Defense should temporarily relocate the Gwangju base's functions to other military airports by mid-2028 to ensure the site can be utilized as part of the Honam Semiconductor mega-project," Lee said [1].
Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik was also involved in the directives to speed up the Honam project [1, 2]. The initiative focuses on creating a large-scale hub for semiconductor manufacturing and AI development, a strategic pivot to maintain competitiveness in the global chip market.
The relocation is described as temporary, though the scale of the planned industrial hub suggests a long-term transformation of the Gwangju region. The government has not yet specified which military airports will absorb the functions of the Gwangju base.
“President Lee Jae Myung ordered the temporary relocation of the Gwangju military air base's functions.”
This directive signals South Korea's willingness to disrupt military logistics to secure a lead in the semiconductor and AI sectors. By repurposing a military air base for an 800-trillion-won industrial project, the administration is treating chip production as a matter of national security equivalent to military readiness.
