Twelve Organizations, Including Wonju City Prosperity Association, Jointly Propose Upgrading Wonju Airport to International Status
All-Out Efforts for Inclusion in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan
Surpassing 200,000 Passengers Demonstrates Competitiveness for International Airport Status
On October 24, twelve major local organizations and groups, including the Wonju City Prosperity Association, strongly urged the government and relevant authorities to upgrade Wonju Airport to an international airport, positioning it as a key axis for balanced national development.
On the 24th, 12 major local institutions and organizations, including the Wonju City Prosperity Association, held a press conference asserting that Wonju Airport should be upgraded to an international airport and made a key axis for balanced national development. Provided by Wonju City Prosperity Association
In a joint statement released that day, these organizations emphasized, "Upgrading Wonju Airport, the gateway to the central inland region, to an international airport is not merely a long-standing local aspiration, but a national strategy and a timely demand for the balanced development of South Korea's territory."
Opened in 1997, Wonju Airport is regarded as a central hub for the mid-region, covering not only Gangwon Province but also the northern areas of Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang Provinces. In particular, with the addition of KTX, expressways, and the confirmed GTX-D line, the airport is positioned as a central axis in the wide-area economic zone connecting Seoul's Gangnam district and Incheon International Airport.
The statement noted that the number of airport users surged from approximately 85,000 in 2018 to about 205,000 in 2024, demonstrating sufficient potential and competitiveness for international airport status.
The organizations cited several justifications for upgrading Wonju Airport to an international airport: dispersing air travel demand from the Seoul metropolitan area, supporting the development of advanced industries, revitalizing the local economy and creating jobs, and the urgent need for safety improvements and facility modernization.
Furthermore, the Wonju City Prosperity Association and other groups strongly called on the government and relevant authorities to: include the joint project proposal by Wonju City and Hoengseong County to elevate the airport to a central international logistics hub for balanced national development in the "7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan"; swiftly implement facility modernization projects to meet international airport standards, such as improving terminal and apron facilities and installing de-icing facilities, to enhance passenger safety and convenience; and provide full administrative and financial support to attract international flights.
Won Kangsu, Mayor of Wonju, and Kim Myungki, Mayor of Hoengseong, have also been making all-out efforts at the local government level to ensure inclusion in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan (2026-2030), including signing a joint statement in February.
The organizations that issued the joint statement declared, "We will unite all our efforts, reflecting the wishes of 360,000 Wonju citizens, until Wonju Airport is reborn as a true global gateway," urging the government to make a decisive commitment.
The organizations participating in the joint statement are: Wonju City Prosperity Association, Wonju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wonju Credit Union, Gangwon Medical Device Industry Association, Ministry of Justice Youth Crime Prevention Committee Wonju Regional Council, Wonju Hanmaeum Forum, Wonju Agricultural Organizations Association, Wonju Traditional Market Association, Wonju 4-H Headquarters, Wonju Peace Ambassadors Council, Korea Rural Leaders Wonju Association, and Korea 4-H Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Headquarters, totaling twelve groups.
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