82% of Gangwon Residents Using Wonju Airport Say "Upgrade to International Airport Needed"

Wonju City Conducts Survey of Wonju Airport Users... 95% Say "Will Use International Flights"
Key Areas for Improvement Include Expanding Airport Facilities and Enhancing Transportation Accessibility

On May 12, the city of Wonju in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Mayor: Won Kangsu) announced that, according to the results of a survey conducted last month among 1,098 Gangwon residents out of 1,501 total users of Wonju(Hoengseong) Airport, 82.8% of respondents answered that "it is necessary for Wonju Airport to be upgraded to an international airport."

View of Wonju(Hoengseong) Airport. Photo by Korea Airports Corporation

The main items of this survey included actual usage such as frequency and purpose of airport use, accessibility and facility improvement needs, and future demand for international flights.

According to the survey results, Gangwon residents identified the following as urgent improvements needed to revitalize the use of Wonju Airport: ▲increasing the number of flight operations (50.0%), ▲improving parking lots and transportation options (23.9%), and ▲enhancing the airport access transportation network (86.1%).

In terms of airport facilities, the key improvement tasks suggested were: ▲expanding parking spaces (30.7%), ▲expanding or relocating and rebuilding the airport terminal (29.0%), ▲increasing convenience facilities within the airport (17.0%), and ▲resolving the separation between the terminal and the boarding area (12.4%).

Additionally, 82.8% of Gangwon residents agreed on the necessity of upgrading Wonju Airport to an international airport. Furthermore, 84.4% responded that the upgrade would have a positive impact on the development of Gangwon Province, and 95.4% indicated their intention to use the airport if it is upgraded to international status.

Based on the results of this survey, the city of Wonju plans to make every effort to secure the feasibility of upgrading Wonju Airport to an international airport and to continuously propose solutions for the identified improvement needs to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Wonju Mayor Won Kangsu stated, "Addressing the accessibility and facility improvement needs of Wonju Airport will provide the essential foundation required for the launch of international flights," and added, "We will do our utmost, together with the local community, to ensure that these needs are actively reflected in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan, which is expected to take shape by the end of the year."