Breaking the Policy of Joint Relocation with the Military Airport
Ministry of National Defense to Resume Ammunition Depot Relocation in June After Two Years
Gwangsan District Council in Gwangju issued a statement on the 3rd urging the Ministry of National Defense and Gwangju City to halt the resumption of the Maruk-dong ammunition depot relocation project. The council pointed out that the current move to relocate the ammunition depot is contrary to the existing policy, which stipulated that the relocation should be pursued together with the relocation of the Gwangju military airport.
In the statement, the council said, "The Ministry of National Defense is pushing for an increased budget to resume the Maruk-dong off-base ammunition depot relocation project," and added, "Relocating only the ammunition depot separately, without a confirmed plan for the military airport relocation, is a unilateral decision that does not reflect the opinions of local residents."
The ammunition depot relocation project was initially launched in 2009 with the start of compensation procedures, but was put on hold in 2023 when the direction shifted to link it with the relocation of the military airport. The council claims that there was a certain level of social consensus at the time to proceed with the relocation of both the military airport and the ammunition depot together.
The council expressed concern that, while discussions on relocating military facilities such as the military airport and the Pyeongdong artillery range in Gwangsan District remain stalled, only the ammunition depot relocation is being prioritized. The council also pointed out that before the Ministry of National Defense reviews the relocation, measures such as improving compensation standards for residents affected by military airport noise and reflecting inflation rates should be implemented first.
The council demanded the following: ▲ The Ministry of National Defense should halt the resumption of the Maruk-dong ammunition depot relocation project; ▲ Gwangju City should consult with the Ministry of National Defense to ensure that the military airport relocation is confirmed as soon as possible and that the ammunition depot relocation is pursued together; ▲ Gwangsan District should convey the opinions of residents affected by noise to the Ministry of National Defense and demand the suspension of the ammunition depot relocation project.
Meanwhile, the project to relocate the ammunition depot of the 1st Fighter Wing in Geumho-dong and Maruk-dong, Seo District, Gwangju, is set to resume after two years. The Ministry of National Defense is pushing for a 4 billion won increase in construction costs to relocate the depot near Sinchon-dong, Gwangsan District, and plans to restart construction in June.
The project began in 2009, with 268.1 billion won spent out of a total budget of 326.2 billion won, but was suspended in 2023 due to the need to link it with the military airport relocation. In the past, the National Assembly requested the suspension of the project, citing concerns that relocating the ammunition depot before the military airport could result in double investment.
The relocation site for the ammunition depot is a military protection zone, and nearby Seogwangju-ro and the apartment access road were subject to development restrictions. Gwangju City temporarily opened Seogwangju-ro for the 2015 Gwangju Universiade, but it has since been used without control, drawing criticism from the Board of Audit and Inspection.
Gwangju City is also currently re-pursuing the relocation of the anti-aircraft artillery base at the summit of Mudeungsan and is preparing related research and resident briefings.
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