Gimpo Airport, The Gateway That Changed Everything
- kmj
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
A Familiar Goodbye
It started the way most domestic flights do in Korea: a little rushed, a little sleepy, a lot of snack bags in tow. I was headed to Jeju Island. But walking into Gimpo Airport, I felt something shift.
Not because the terminal was especially beautiful. It’s not. Not because it was crowded. It wasn’t. But because I realized this wasn’t just any airport. This was the airport. The one my dad left Korea from decades ago, stepping onto a plane bound for America to start something uncertain. The one my mom walked through, carrying me and holding my brother's hand, probably fighting back fear as she prepared to board a flight that would take all three of us to a life we’d never seen. She was a woman in her thirties with two kids, huge suitcases, and no guarantees.
Now here I was, standing in almost the exact same place, a full-grown adult with a carry-on and a boarding pass to Jeju. Just a short flight away, but emotionally, it felt like I had stepped into the past.
I could picture her. Hair pulled back, probably wearing something practical, lips pressed together in focus. I could almost see her walking through these gates, both hopeful and scared.
Gimpo’s Layers of History
If airports could talk, Gimpo would have stories carved into its runways. It began in 1939, under Japanese colonial rule, as a military airfield named Keijo Airfield. During the Korean War, it transformed into a strategic American airbase, known by the US military as K-14. Fighter jets, troop transport planes, emergency evacuations. This land saw it all before Korea ever had the skyline we now take for granted.
After the war, the airstrip was rebuilt and reclaimed as a civilian airport. By the 1960s, Gimpo became South Korea’s main international gateway, and for decades, it was the only way in and out of the country by air. Anyone leaving to study abroad, emigrate, or return from a business trip came through here.
It’s where families said their teary goodbyes, waving from behind the glass. Where sons came home from America in suits. Where halmonis clutched bags of snacks to greet them.
In 2001, the opening of Incheon International Airport shifted most international flights away. Gimpo shrank, but it didn’t disappear. Instead, it settled into something more intimate, almost local in spirit. A place for short hops and quiet departures. A space that still holds weight.
There’s something powerful about a place that used to be huge and is now quieter, slower, but still loved. Gimpo isn’t the gleaming global hub it once was, but that might be what makes it so human now.
Where You Can Go from Here
Gimpo is smaller now but it’s always in motion. On the day of my flight to Jeju, the domestic terminal buzzed with quiet, focused energy. People knew exactly where they were going. Couples with backpacks and matching sneakers. Parents handing out snacks to kids in strollers. Elders moving slowly but surely through the security line. There’s no chaos here.
From Gimpo, you can fly to almost every corner of Korea. But by far the most popular destination is Jeju Island. In fact, the Gimpo to Jeju route is one of the busiest flight corridors in the world. Planes take off every 10 to 15 minutes during peak times, like buses in the sky.
Besides Jeju, flights head to Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Pohang, and other key cities. You’ll mostly fly with Korean Air, Asiana, Jeju Air, T’way, and Jin Air. Everything runs smoothly, quietly. Gimpo knows its rhythms.
And for a smaller airport, Gimpo still offers a taste of the world. Flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, Shanghai Hongqiao, Beijing Capital, and Taipei Songshan connect travelers to East Asia’s major cities fast.
For me, Jeju was the destination. But the real trip started the moment I stepped into this terminal. The same one my parents had walked through, decades apart, chasing completely different dreams.
Gimpo Airport might not be the biggest. Or the flashiest. But it’s stitched into the story of so many lives, including mine. Somewhere between security and gate 5, I realized I wasn’t just flying to Jeju. I was walking through a chapter of my family’s history. And somehow, that felt more powerful than any destination.
What to Eat, See, and Chill With
You won’t find Michelin stars at Gimpo. But you will find comfort.
If you’re flying domestic, your options include:
Gimbap Cheonguk: the MVP of quick Korean meals. A hot triangle of kimchi bokkeumbap or a neatly rolled tuna gimbap hits the spot pre-boarding.
Bon Juk: warm bowls of pumpkin or abalone juk, easy on the stomach and very Korean-mom-approved.
Lotteria: for when your body says burger, but your brain says fast.
Paris Baguette or Hollys Coffee: croissants, garlic bread, and americanos, obviously.
There are a few shops. Olive Young, Innisfree, Nature Republic, and souvenir stalls with Jeju chocolates and Seoul magnets. Convenience stores like CU and GS25 are lifesavers if you need a banana milk or socks.
Before You Go – Travel Tips
Arrive early for Jeju flights
Domestic security is fast, but Gimpo to Jeju is extremely popular. Holidays and weekends book out fast, so reserve early.
Subway wins here.
Gimpo is connected by Line 5, Line 9, and the AREX line. Super convenient from central Seoul and cheaper than a taxi.
Pack light, pack smart
Domestic flights usually allow a free checked bag, but overhead bin space is competitive.
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