Gwangju Military Airport Area Designated Land‑Transaction Permit Zone

Since 14 May, the area surrounding Gwangju’s military airport has been classified as a land‑transaction permit zone. Under the new rules, any sale of land that exceeds size thresholds, as well as transactions involving apartment land‑rights or resale of pre‑sale rights, must obtain prior approval from the mayor, district chief and county governor before a contract is signed. Contracts concluded without such approval are void under the Real‑Estate Transaction Reporting Act.

Applicants must submit a transaction‑permit application, land‑use plan, financing plan and related documents to the responsible city‑county office. Approval is issued within 15 days; once granted, the contract can proceed and must be reported within 30 days, citing the permit number. Failure to use the land for the approved purpose may incur penalties. Authorities stress that the designation aims to curb speculative deals and protect genuine buyers, especially as the site is earmarked for the Honam semiconductor cluster. As 설향자, head of land‑information, said, “Designation as a permit zone does not mean transactions cannot occur; please verify permit status before contracting.”