Korea Airports Corporation
South Korea’s state-owned airport operator for Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju and other domestic and international airports.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), known in Korean as 한국공항공사, is a South Korean state-owned airport-management organization headquartered at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. It was created in 1980 as the International Airport Authority to support the construction, inspection, administration and operation of airports and to improve the efficiency of air transportation. Over time, it became the principal operator of a broad network of airports in South Korea, while also taking responsibility for related navigation, air-traffic-control, training and aviation-support functions. KAC operates and manages 14 airports in Korea, including Gimpo International Airport, Gimhae International Airport, Jeju International Airport, Daegu International Airport, Cheongju International Airport, Muan International Airport and Yangyang International Airport. Its network includes airports serving Seoul, major regional cities, island and tourism markets, and important domestic and international routes. Incheon International Airport is operated by the separate Incheon International Airport Corporation and is not part of KAC’s airport portfolio. The organization’s original remit expanded through successive transfers of operating rights. Gimpo became its first airport in 1980, followed by Gimhae in 1983 and Jeju in 1985. By 1990, KAC had operating authority over nine domestic airports. It subsequently added or assumed responsibility for further facilities, including Cheongju, Wonju, Yangyang and Muan. The corporation also manages Korea’s Area Control Center and a network of VOR/TAC navigation facilities, giving it responsibilities beyond passenger-terminal administration. KAC’s institutional identity changed several times during its development. It began as the International Airport Authority, became the Korea International Airport Authority in 1990, and was renamed the Korea Airports Authority in 1991. The present name, Korea Airports Corporation, was adopted in 2002. The renaming reflected the organization’s increasingly broad role as an integrated airport and aviation-services institution rather than a body focused solely on a single airport or a narrow administrative function. In addition to airport operations, KAC has developed aviation education and technical capabilities. It opened the Civil Aviation Training Center in 1984, launched the Air Route Traffic Control Center in 1994, and later established a Service Academy and expanded professional aviation training. Its activities have included airport facilities management, passenger and airside services, air-navigation infrastructure, aviation training, aircraft handling and maintenance, and the development and sale of research-and-development equipment. From 2008, its business scope also included overseas airport ventures, indicating an effort to apply Korean airport-management expertise beyond the domestic network. KAC also supported the growth of regional and international connectivity. It participated in the launch of Gimpo–Haneda services in 2003 and Gimpo–Hongqiao services in 2007, linking Seoul with major Japanese and Chinese metropolitan markets. The corporation’s current positioning is that of a public infrastructure operator and comprehensive aviation-services provider. Its importance derives less from a consumer-facing product brand than from its role in maintaining airport availability, regional connectivity, aviation safety infrastructure and the operational capabilities required by South Korea’s civil-aviation system.
History
Korea Airports Corporation traces its institutional origin to the International Airport Authority, established in Seoul on May 30, 1980. The authority assumed operating rights for Gimpo International Airport on July 1 of that year. Gimpo was then the principal gateway for Seoul, making its transfer the foundation of the organization’s later nationwide role. The authority’s mandate covered more than routine terminal administration: it was intended to coordinate airport construction, inspection, management and operation and to contribute to the efficient organization of air transportation. The organization expanded its airport portfolio during the 1980s. It acquired operating rights for Gimhae International Airport on May 9, 1983, and for Jeju International Airport on September 6, 1985. These additions gave it responsibility for airports serving both a major industrial region and the country’s leading island tourism market. On June 1, 1984, it also opened the Civil Aviation Training Center, establishing an early institutional link between airport management and the preparation of aviation personnel. A series of changes in name accompanied the expansion. On April 7, 1990, the organization became the Korea International Airport Authority. On June 28 of the same year, its operating responsibilities had grown to include nine domestic airports, among them Daegu Airport. On December 14, 1991, it adopted the name Korea Airports Authority. These changes reflected the development of a national airport-management institution with a wider operational remit. KAC’s responsibilities increasingly included aviation-control and navigation infrastructure. The Air Route Traffic Control Center was launched on December 13, 1994. By January 15, 1997, the network had expanded to include Cheongju and Wonju airports. On January 15, 1999, the organization acquired eight VOR/TAC navigation facilities, including the facility at Yangyang. These developments placed airport operations within a broader system of navigation, control and technical support. The current corporate name, Korea Airports Corporation, was adopted on March 2, 2002. On April 3 of that year, Yangyang International Airport was added to the organization’s airport portfolio. KAC then supported new international links from Seoul’s Gimpo Airport, including the Gimpo–Haneda service launched on November 30, 2003. The corporation received an ISO 9001 service-quality-system certificate on August 30, 2004, and opened a Service Academy on December 21, 2005, reinforcing its emphasis on standardized service and workforce development. Further geographic expansion followed. Muan International Airport joined the network on October 23, 2007, while Gimpo–Hongqiao services began on October 28 of the same year. In 2008, KAC broadened its business activities to include the manufacture and sale of research-and-development equipment and participation in overseas airport ventures. It acquired the Uljin Civil Aviation Training Center on July 8, 2010, and placed additional emphasis on training aviation professionals in 2014. On November 22, 2014, aircraft handling and maintenance were incorporated into its service domains. Today, KAC manages 14 airports in South Korea, including Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan and Yangyang. It also manages the Area Control Center, ten VOR/TAC facilities and the Korea Civil Aviation Training Center. Its role is distinct from that of Incheon International Airport Corporation, which operates Incheon International Airport. KAC’s history therefore represents the consolidation and diversification of a public airport network, extending from airport administration into navigation, training, technical services and selected international aviation ventures.
- 2014
Aircraft handling and maintenance added
[1]KAC expanded its service scope to include aircraft handling and maintenance on November 22.
- 2007
Muan added and Gimpo–Hongqiao service launched
[1]Muan International Airport joined the portfolio in October, and Gimpo–Hongqiao services began later that month.
- 2003
Gimpo–Haneda service launched
[1]Gimpo–Haneda flight services began on November 30.
- 2002
Current name adopted
[1]The organization became Korea Airports Corporation on March 2.
- 1994
Air Route Traffic Control Center launched
[1]KAC launched its Air Route Traffic Control Center on December 13.
- 1991
Name changed to Korea Airports Authority
[1]The organization adopted the Korea Airports Authority name on December 14.
- 1990
Name changed to Korea International Airport Authority
[1]The organization adopted the Korea International Airport Authority name on April 7 and had operating rights for nine domestic airports by June.
- 1985
Jeju added to the network
[1]Operating rights for Jeju International Airport were acquired on September 6.
- 1984
Civil Aviation Training Center opened
[1]KAC opened a civil-aviation training center on June 1.
- 1983
Gimhae added to the network
[1]KAC acquired operating rights for Gimhae International Airport on May 9.
Products and positioning
State-owned integrated airport and aviation-infrastructure operator serving South Korea’s regional and international airport network.
Airport management · 1980
Airport operations
KAC’s core activity is the management and operation of a nationwide group of 14 South Korean airports. Its responsibilities encompass airport administration, terminal and airside operations, facilities, passenger services and support for domestic and international air connectivity. Major airports in its portfolio include Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan and Yangyang. Incheon International Airport is operated by a separate public corporation.
Aviation infrastructure · 1994
Air-navigation infrastructure
Beyond airport premises, KAC manages Korea’s Area Control Center and a network of VOR/TAC navigation facilities. These functions support the wider civil-aviation system by providing technical and operational infrastructure associated with route navigation and air-traffic control.
Aviation education · 1984
Civil aviation training
KAC operates aviation-training activities through the Korea Civil Aviation Training Center and related facilities. The training business supports the preparation and continuing development of aviation professionals and reflects the corporation’s role as an aviation institution as well as an airport operator.
Aviation services · 2014
Aircraft handling and maintenance
Aircraft handling and maintenance became part of KAC’s stated business scope in 2014. These activities extend the organization’s capabilities beyond airport administration into technical and operational services supporting aircraft and airport users.
Brand decisions
2014
Addition of aircraft handling and maintenanceStrategyBackground
KAC continued to diversify its aviation capabilities through training, technical operations and airport-support services.
Action taken
On November 22, 2014, the corporation added aircraft handling and maintenance to its operational domains.
Aftermath
The expansion reinforced KAC’s positioning as an integrated aviation-services provider rather than only an airport landlord or terminal manager.
2008
Expansion into equipment and overseas airport venturesStrategyBackground
KAC had developed operational and technical capabilities beyond the management of individual airport terminals.
Action taken
From March 28, 2008, its business scope included the manufacture and sale of research-and-development equipment and participation in overseas airport ventures.
Aftermath
The move broadened KAC’s profile from a domestic airport operator into a wider aviation-services and international-project organization.
2002
Adoption of the Korea Airports Corporation nameStrategyBackground
After operating for more than two decades and taking responsibility for a growing airport and aviation-infrastructure network, the organization had evolved beyond its original authority structure.
Action taken
The organization adopted the name Korea Airports Corporation on March 2, 2002.
Aftermath
The new name became the organization’s continuing identity as it expanded airport operations, aviation training, navigation support and related services.
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