South Korea orders Gwangju air base relocation by mid-2028 for chip hub

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the defense ministry to temporarily relocate military operations from the Gwangju Air Base by mid-2028 to accelerate the construction of a massive semiconductor manufacturing hub in the country's southwest. The directive, issued at a public-private meeting on August 10, 2026, aims to clear the way for a multibillion-dollar project led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The Gwangju Air Base, a joint facility with the U.S. military, sits on approximately 8.3 million square meters of land in the southwestern Honam region. The government selected the site in July 2026 due to its flat terrain, existing infrastructure, and transport connections. The plan is to transform the area into one of the world's largest chip manufacturing zones, forming the core of a new semiconductor production belt.

At the meeting, President Lee instructed the Defense Ministry to "temporarily transfer Gwangju Air Base's functions to other military airfields by mid-2028" and to take all necessary steps to ensure the site can be used for the industrial complex as soon as possible. He emphasized that securing the site and infrastructure is the top priority,...