Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gazz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8052742.stm

[Robot_Teacher]

Yep, Yangyang was the 1st thing that came to my mind as I'm fairly close to there. Yangyang airport is now an airplane maintenance and repair center. They built this airport anticipating mass tourism in Gangwon-do, but it never materialized. While Koreans come out to Gangwon-do, it's only a 3 to 4 hour drive from Seoul and then you need the car to get around so flying to Gangwon-do makes little sense. I understand Yangyang airport used to operate flights to Tokyo, Jeju, Seoul, and Busan which would be extremely convenient for those of us teaching in Gangwon-do, but too few foreigners travel Gangwon-do to adequately support daily flights. I wouldn't imagine Gangwon-do is high on the Japanese list of travel and tourism priorities as they have more interests in going to Hokkaido and Hawaii.

[gazz]

I think the problem with all these airports is the simple fact that the Korean bus infrastructure is so good (and cheap).

But I think the logic of past goverments was to open Korea (not just Seoul and Busan) to the buisness world.

Short term bad idea, long term....................?

[schwa]

I used that airport several times, its very pleasant. Built for 2,000,000 passengers annually, currently serving 0.

The reporter has it right -- some retiring politico wanted to leave a legacy. Bone-headed decision. Prior to its construction there were functional airports in Sokcho (in fair weather) & Gangneung with daily flights to Gimpo, Busan, & elsewhere. This white elephant superceded both of them & caused them to close, It was too far from Gangneung & improved expressways have cut driving time to Seoul.

Jeju Air threw on some Gimpo flights for a while which seemed reasonably well booked, but withdrew. Some cut-rate airline offered special package deals to Japan for a bit. Asiana was the last to give up when its thrice weekly Busan flights apparently werent cutting it.

I'd still jump on a $50 35-minute hop to Seoul & I think others here would too but until the airlines sort it out, Sokcho is stuck with buses ($20 & 3 hours).

*edit to add to Gazz's comment. There it sits, jumbo jet-capable. Who knows the longer term. Could be reinvented into something viable yet.

[Sergio Stefanuto]

Wow, thanks for the vid. Nice and eerie.

I read on internet, though can't remember where, when I was looking at international flights that provincial cities like Daegu and Gwangju don't do international flights at all (they only do flights to Jeju and Incheon/Gimpo).

There's no point, surely?

[gazz]

[quote]There's no point, surely?[/quote]

In the short term - without a doubht!

In the long term, maybe?

The way a country develops the fastest is to have a top notch transport network, and to be fair Korea's isn't bad!

You carn't compare Korea, for example to the US due to the sheer difference in scale.

BUT if they expect Yang Yang to be a hub of tourism for Korea (non Koreans) they may well be in for a shock.

Better they spend it on a pointless airport, as opposed to paying stupid salaries to (UK ministers) or a few more US rockets!

Its not just about the expenditure it about the long term.

But......at the min

[RACETRAITOR]

I've been thinking of going out there for a while to see what it's like. Whatever happened to the Sokcho and Gangneung airports? Are they still sitting there? Sounds like at least the Yangyang airport is not totally empty.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[OiGirl]

They recently build a new international airport near Gwangju, in Muan. Now there are flights from Gwangju to Jeju and Gimpo only.

[bluelake]

[phoneboothface]

Have we all been in Korea too long to realize that he is talking way too slow? Like he is or we are retarded? I know it's for an international audience but the other BBC ppl speak much faster.

[RACETRAITOR]

[Smee]

Has anyone used the Muan Airport? I know it's there b/c they moved the capital from Gwangju to Namak-ri to decrease congestion, but when the airport opened the story was how it would be at minimum capacity since it didn't have anyone to work there, didn't have any tenants in the shops, and didn't have any flights going in or out. The problem was also that there was no highway going to the airport, so nobody could get there or back. I read that they're going to reopen Gwangju and Yeosu to international flights for the 2012 Expo, but to me it just doesn't make any sense to stick an airport in Muan and then have the biggest city in the region only serve a handful of flights to Seoul and Jeju. But that's just me.

At least half of Korea's airports are operating at a loss, and it's amazing how many airports there are in a country so small. I'm sure business people might have more opinion, but is it really worth it to fly across the country when a bus takes four hours? I know one year my school made me fly home via Gwangu-Gimpo-Incheon (actually, first leaving from Gangjin county), and including waiting time and transfers, it ended up being longer than an airport shuttle to Incheon would have been.

[Colorado]

They just canceled a plan to build a new International Airport here in Miryang, about 50 kilometers from the one in Gimhae. What were they thinking?

[OiGirl]

The Gwangju-Muan Expressway is open now, but I've still never had any need to go to the Muan airport.