The military has decided to temporarily relocate the operations of the Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing from Gwangju Military Airport to Yecheon, Seosan, and Chungju bases, following the designation of the Gwangju site for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster.
According to Yonhap News on the 15th, a Defense Ministry official stated during a press briefing on the 14th, "We plan to implement a temporary relocation considering operational impacts and the capacity of each base, utilizing Yecheon, Seosan, and Chungju bases."
The 1st Fighter Wing, known as the 'cradle of fighter pilots,' includes two flight training squadrons, the 189th and 216th, and three combat squadrons, including the 206th. The two flight training squadrons operate T-50 advanced trainers and are responsible for training fighter pilots.
The 206th Fighter Squadron operates the domestically produced TA-50 Block 2 light attack aircraft and is tasked with air defense missions in the southwestern region. The existing capabilities of the 1st Fighter Wing will be temporarily relocated to Yecheon base (16th Fighter Wing) and Seosan base (20th Fighter Wing), with some functions moving to Chungju base (19th Fighter Wing).
Gwangju Military Airport had already been selected as a candidate site for relocation to Muan, but the government decided to establish the Honam Semiconductor Cluster there, necessitating an expedited vacating of the site. President Lee Jae-myung directed on the 10th that the functions of the Gwangju base be temporarily relocated to other military airports by mid-2028, effectively formalizing the plan to disperse the 1st Fighter Wing ahead of the Muan relocation.
The final relocation site, Muan Military Airport, is expected to be completed by 2032, indicating that the temporary relocation to Yecheon, Seosan, and Chungju bases will last approximately four years.
Gwangju base is one of five U.S.-Korea joint operational bases where U.S. air power can be deployed in emergencies, and it has been noted that discussions with the U.S. will be necessary for the base's relocation.
A Defense Ministry official remarked, "The U.S. is fully aware of this matter and we are engaging in substantive discussions with them."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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