On October 12, 2026, DIGITIMES reported that SK hynix’s proposed chip plan, valued at KRW 400 trillion (about US$299 billion in the headline), faced a military-base hurdle. The issue is tied to relocation talks over Gwangju Military Airport, the reported site of a broader Honam semiconductor cluster and a Korea-U.S. Collocated Operating Base. DIGITIMES Seoul Economic Daily The Korea Times
Why the military base matters
A Collocated Operating Base, or COB, is a site where U.S. air assets could deploy in a contingency. The Korea Times says no U.S. operational units are permanently stationed at Gwangju Airport in peacetime. The Chosun Daily reported that South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense sought a separate consultation track for relocating Gwangju, while National Assembly member Choi Eun-seok said the U.S. side wanted a comprehensive agreement covering five joint bases to come first.
A Defense Ministry official told The Chosun Daily that a comprehensive agreement would require National Assembly approval, making it difficult to align the Gwangju schedule through that route. United States Forces Korea declined to comment on host-nation policy matters. The Chosun Daily also reported that U.S. forces used about 183 acres of the airport under the South Korea–U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). (The Chosun Daily’s report)
Lee pressed for an earlier relocation schedule
The Chosun Daily had reported a target of temporary relocation by mid-2028. On September 29, 2026, President Lee Jae-myung called that target too slow and directed officials to seek an earlier schedule, according to Seoul Economic Daily.
Two investment figures and a site visit
The KRW 400 trillion figure in the DIGITIMES headline refers to SK hynix’s proposed chip plan. Seoul Economic Daily reported a separate KRW 800 trillion plan for the wider Honam cluster involving SK hynix and Samsung Electronics. The figures describe different scopes: one is attached to the SK hynix plan, the other to a broader two-company cluster.
Seoul Economic Daily described the proposed airport site as about 3.2 square miles. In a July 29 report, local broadcaster 광주MBC said about ten SK Group representatives, including senior executives, inspected the site’s scale and electricity and water supply conditions. They then met Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae to discuss possible fab plans and future investment.
