Gangneung Airbase is an airbase holding the 18th fighter wing of the Republic of Korea Air Force

Republic of Korea Air Force

The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...

. It is located in Gangneung

Gangneung

Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...

, Gangwon-do

Gangwon-do (South Korea)

Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...

. The airfield has one runway (8/26), and is ILS

Instrument Landing System

An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...

 equipped on runway 23. In the past, this airfield also used to handle civilian air traffic. The passenger handling functions of this airfield were closed prior to the opening of Yangyang International Airport

Yangyang International Airport

Yangyang International Airport is a small international airport in the northeast of South Korea. It is located in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province and was built to serve the nearby areas of Sokcho, Gangneung and Pyeongchang. The airport replaced Gangneung and Sokcho airports...

In 1969, Korean Air Lines YS-11 flying from Gangneung Airbase to Gimpo International Airport

Gimpo International Airport

Gimpo International Airport , commonly known as Gimpo Airport , is located in the far western end of Seoul and was the main international airport for Seoul and South Korea before it was replaced by Incheon International Airport in 2001...

in Seoul was hijacked by a North Korean agent and forced to land in the North; seven of the passengers and all four crew members among them did not return to South Korea.