Monday, May 18, 2009

BBC on Yang•yang's "ghost airport"

I remember the only time I ever visited Ulsan. My company had business down there and someone else was paying for us to fly, so we flew. The tiny airport reminded me of a train station or a bus station, not an airport. It was that small. Neat, new, and shiny, but very small. 

I guess Yang-yang's airport is much the same. The former military airfield has been converted into what some hoped would be a vibrant regional airport for the people of mountainous northeastern Korea. But, as the BBC reports, it is a place to which nobody comes. Literally. (Note the way the British reporter pronounces 양양 as 얭얭.)



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2 comments:

  1. JamieTuesday, May 19, 2009 3:06:00 PM

    definitely been to a few places like that in China where it seems like all the people who work there came out out thin air and exist only for your visit. always reminds me of 'hotel california' for some reason.

    at least Yang Yang got a few security guard jobs out of it

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  2. kushiboTuesday, May 19, 2009 3:16:00 PM

    I've heard that Yangyang's airport, being a former military airfield, has a more difficult or odd runway that makes takeoffs and landings difficult or something. That might scare airlines from using it in higher numbers, but one would think it would be a good place to bring skiers to during the winter.

    It's too close, really, to Seoul for it to be feasible for someone to go all the way out to Kimpo and then fly to Yangyang, especially after the railway line is finished in preparation for P'yŏngchang's next winter Olympics bid (2018).

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