Honam semiconductor cluster site: 90 minutes from Seoul by KTX

A 2.5 million-pyeong site, KTX access and strong residential amenities make it the ideal location — with the military airfield set to relocate to Muan-gun

The former military airfield that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have selected as the site for their Honam-region semiconductor cluster is state-owned land, meaning the project can break ground faster than most — without the drawn-out compensation disputes and regulatory hurdles that typically accompany large industrial developments.

The military airfield site in Sinchon-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju offers 8.2 million square meters (2.5 million pyeong, where 1 pyeong equals 3.3 square meters) of flat, ready-to-use land, with KTX Gwangju Songjeong Station just steps away — a major advantage for attracting talent. Analysts have called the choice a masterstroke, as it simultaneously advances two goals: building semiconductor fabrication plants and relocating the military airfield to Muan-gun.

The 2.5 million-pyeong site, which includes the air force base and ammunition depot, is roughly three times the size of Yeouido in Seoul — and nearly twice the size of Samsung Electronics' 2.2 million-pyeong Yongin semiconductor site and SK hynix's 1.26 million-pyeong Yongin general industrial complex in Wonsamyeon, Cheoin-gu.

As the Yongin semiconductor complex demonstrated — taking six years to break ground — large industrial projects typically lose significant time to landowner compensation disputes, complex permitting, environmental impact assessments and community opposition. The military airfield site sidesteps most of those obstacles: it is state-owned and already graded, allowing the project to move at a far faster pace.

Connectivity is another key selling point. The KTX-Cheongnyong, the newest high-speed train, covers the route between KTX Gwangju Songjeong Station and Seoul Yongsan Station in under an hour and a half, while the KTX-Sancheon completes the journey in under two hours — faster than many people assume.

The site's proximity to the Sangmu district in Seo-gu — home to the planned South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city hall and a well-established new town — means workers would have ready access to education, medical and residential infrastructure, adding another layer of competitiveness.

Beyond rail, the site sits near the Second Beltway and the Honam Expressway, giving it strong logistics connectivity. Those transport links, along with KTX and SRT services at Gwangju Songjeong Station, are seen as key reasons South Korea's top two chipmakers — Samsung Electronics and SK Group — chose this location.

Semiconductor exports and imports typically move by air, and the site is well positioned for that too. From Gwangju Songjeong Station, KTX trains run directly to Naju Station and on to Muan International Airport Station without a transfer, enabling seamless air freight connections.

The area also offers a growing pipeline of semiconductor talent. Institutions in the region include the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) in Naju, home to Korea Electric Power Corp.'s headquarters; the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST); Chonnam National University; and Chosun University. A Gwangju Arm School — a semiconductor training center to be established in partnership with UK-based Arm — is also slated to open, as is an AI gifted high school affiliated with GIST, already scheduled to open in March 2027.

The presence of Amkor Technology Korea — formerly Anam Semiconductor and the world's second-largest semiconductor packaging company — has also factored into the decision. Long established in Gwangju, Amkor handles back-end packaging and testing for chips designed or produced by customers including Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm, making the city a natural fit for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Water supply is another advantage. The military airfield site sits close to the Yongyeon water purification plant, which processes water from Juam Dam.

The water drawn from Juam Dam and purified at the Yongyeon plant already serves as drinking water for Gwangju residents — among the highest-quality water supplies in the country — making it highly suitable for the ultrapure water that semiconductor manufacturing requires.

"The competitiveness of the semiconductor industry, which is grappling with a supply shortage relative to demand, hinges on how quickly production capacity can be secured," an official from the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city said. "The location and speed advantages of the military airfield site can be a real strength."

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix each plan to build two fabrication plants at the site, for a total of four fabs. Together with the 10-fab Yongin complex, the Gwangju site is expected to emerge as a major semiconductor hub for southern South Korea.