The government proposed to expand the Gunsan Airport to serve as the gateway for Saemangeum zone, a mass of 41,000 hectares of reclaimed land across the 33-kilometer seawall along the southern coast region of South Korea, which is being groomed to be a regional industrial and logistics hub as well as a tourist destination.

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Tuesday that the location of Gunsan Airport is deemed as the best site for a new international airport, given its proximity to the reclaimed zone, fewer obstacles, and greater airspace.

According to the report, the new airport will help to meet the rising flight demand once the area houses resorts along the beaches. It estimated demand of 670,000 passengers by 2025 that could more than double to 1.33 million by 2055.

Local provincial authorities have been pitching for a new airport in line with the development of the reclaimed area, which was created in 2011, in hopes that the airport will be a boon for the region’s economy. Once leisure and resort facilities are added, the man-made area could draw a massive influx of Chinese tourists due to its geographical proximity.

By Lee Ji-yong and Lee Ha-yeon

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]