South Korea plans to agree airbase relocation with US by year-end — Korea Herald

South Korea aims to complete negotiations with the United States by the end of the year on a comprehensive agreement on relocating jointly used airbases, including facilities in the city of Gwangju. The Korea Herald reported this, citing a source familiar with the course of the consultations.

The agreement is intended to define the principles and procedures for relocating five joint-use bases where the US Air Force can deploy its assets in an emergency. Seoul provides the land for these facilities to the US Forces Korea.

Relocation of bases in Gwangju

The issue of relocating the base in Gwangju is linked to the authorities' plan to develop a major semiconductor manufacturing cluster in the city and the surrounding region. The base is home to the South Korean Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing.

Under the plan, Gwangju military airport is to be relocated to neighboring Muan County. At the same time, the 1st Fighter Wing and its training squadrons are planned to be distributed among three bases in North Gyeongsang, North Chungcheong, and South Chungcheong provinces.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Negotiations with the US

Seoul and Washington have been holding consultations on rules for relocating the bases since 2021, following South Korea's plans to move the military airfield in Daegu. The list of facilities also includes airbases in Cheongju, Gimhae, and Suwon.

The sides provisionally agreed on an agreement in October 2024, but in November 2025, the negotiations reportedly reached a deadlock over a US draft proposal. The latest working consultations made it possible to advance in agreeing on the wording of the document.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Binna said that Seoul is discussing the inclusion of the temporary relocation of US military facilities located at the Gwangju base in the overall agreement. The sides are also considering temporarily suspending maintenance of these facilities to avoid unnecessary costs and prevent delays to the industrial project.