Seoul Air Base

Seoul Air Base (IATA: SSN, ICAO: RKSM) (sometimes K-16 Air Base, Seoul Airport or Seongnam Air Base) is located in Seongnam city near Seoul in South Korea. Runway 19 and 20 are equipped with an ILS.

Seoul Air Base 서울공항
IATA: SSN ICAO: RKSM
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	ROKAF
Operator	ROKAF
Location	Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Elevation AMSL	92 ft / 28 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 01/19 2,743 9,000 Asphalt 02/20 2,957 9,700 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

History

Korea under Japanese rule constructed 여의도 비행장(Yeouido Air Base).

Korean War

The USAF designated the Yeouido air base at K-16 during the Korean War.

USAF units based here included:

• 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group operating F-51s from 8 April 1951.[3]
• Detachment F, 3rd Air Rescue Squadron operating Sikorsky H-5s from 19 October 1950
• 2157th Air Rescue Squadron operating Sikorsky H-19s

Postwar

Yeouido Air Base closed as 1970, moved garrison to current Sinchon-ri, and named it Seoul Air Base.

The base is home to the ROKAF 15th Special Missions Wing.

The US Army's 2nd Battalion (Assault), 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division operating Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawks is based there.

The Seoul Air Show is held annually in this airfield.

The base is used as a VIP airfield by the President of Republic of Korea and other VIPs and heads of state.

Construction of a Second Lotte World

On the survey conducted by Sisain Press, 86% of military pilots and air traffic controllers opposed the construction of a second Lotte World because of a safety hazard. They were concerned that it would interfere with the flight path. President Lee Myeong Bak (2008-2012) got the green light for a 555 meter tall skyscraper after rebuilding the airfield to deviate from the 123-story tower in Jamsil, Seoul. The building now operates as Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in any OECD country.[4]

See also

• List of United States Army installations in South Korea

References

1. Airport information for RKSM at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
2. Airport information for SSN at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
3. Futrell, Frank (1983). The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950-1953 (PDF). Air Force History & Museums Program. p. 361. ISBN 9780912799711. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. Jung, Hee sang (2009-02-16). "86% of military pilots and air traffic controllers opposed construction of 2nd lotte world".

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website https://www.af.mil.