BUSAN — The Busan city government has formally launched the administrative process to designate the "Gadeok Airport City," a core residential and logistics complex tied to the construction of Gadeok New Airport, as a free economic zone. The plan to create an integrated economic hub for the southern region — combining logistics, business and advanced industries in step with the new airport's opening — is coming into sharper focus.
The city said on the 26th that it had released a draft designation plan for the Gadeok Airport City free economic zone, along with a draft strategic environmental impact assessment, and would hold a public review through the 23rd of next month. Starting with the review, the city plans to hold consecutive public briefings on the 7th and 8th of that month at the Gangseo District Office and the Ungdong 2-dong community service center in Changwon, gathering local opinion and expert input broadly.
The draft development plan was drawn up with top priority on its alignment with the master plan for Gadeok New Airport, and its completeness was raised through three rounds of detailed consultation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) last year. Notably, it attempts a shift in urban paradigm beyond simply building a support complex for the airport. Waterways that had been cut off by the Dongseon seawall will be reconnected to restore the ecosystem, and an oversized lake park combining disaster prevention and waterfront functions will be laid out. Using a horizontal pedestrian park linking the entire city east-west and north-south as its axis, the project will also realize a "car-free, eco-friendly, pedestrian-centered city."
The city is also moving quickly to secure residents' acceptance, seen as a key task in the development process. Busan has regularly operated a public-private consultative body and actively reflected local residents' requests in the draft development plan. After reviewing and supplementing the opinions submitted during the review period and completing consultations with relevant central government agencies, the city plans to formally apply to MOTIE for free economic zone designation within this year.
The road ahead is also taking shape. The city aims to complete the designation and finalize and announce the development plan next year, following deliberation and a resolution by MOTIE's Free Economic Zone Committee. Once the designation is confirmed, it plans to immediately begin land compensation procedures and move into main construction. If ultimately designated as a free economic zone, tax incentives and deregulation infrastructure to attract global logistics and aviation firms are expected to be significantly strengthened, adding momentum to efforts to draw foreign investment.
Park Jae-hong, head of Busan's New Airport Promotion Headquarters, said, "The public review and briefings are key procedures for raising the completeness of the Gadeok Airport City and building a shared understanding with the local community." He added, "We will proactively review and reflect the residents' opinions presented so that the Gadeok Airport City can establish itself as a new future growth hub for Busan and the entire southern region, and we will push the project forward without a hitch."
