South Korea’s air force told lawmakers it will cut its enlisted strength by about half during the 2040s. In the nearer term it will move a fighter wing’s flying squadrons out of Gwangju so the airfield can become the site of a national semiconductor cluster.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Son Seok-rak set out both plans on 20 October 2026, at the National Assembly National Defense Committee’s audit of Air Force Headquarters at Gyeryongdae, according to Newspim’s Oh Dong-ryong.
A Smaller Conscript Force
In line with the defense ministry’s reforms, the air force will reduce its enlisted ranks by roughly 17,000 conscripts and add career personnel, both officers and NCOs, in their place. Reform Party lawmaker Chun Ha-ram cited a ministry projection that only about 100,000 men will be eligible for service in 2040. He warned that the current approach could erode combat capability and NCO recruiting, and he raised the idea of a gender-neutral draft.
Son said the air force had found “nothing so far” among enlisted duties that women would have difficulty performing. He also said he could not say “100 percent,” and that organizational culture would be “the most important thing” to prepare. Newspim notes that this does not mean the air force is pursuing conscription of women. The Military Manpower Administration’s position is that it is not under consideration.
Moving Out of Gwangju
The 1st Fighter Wing’s three flying squadrons will move temporarily so that the Gwangju airfield can host the Honam semiconductor cluster. The government, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are pursuing about 800 trillion won of investment there.
The 189th and 216th Flying Training Squadrons, which fly T-50s, go to Yecheon. The TA-50 206th Fighter Squadron goes to Seosan, and Yecheon’s TA-50 115th Squadron moves to Jungwon Air Base in Chungju. The 2027 budget request includes 316.9 billion won for housing, temporary facilities and training conditions at the receiving bases. The move was planned for completion by mid-2028, but President Lee Jae-myung ordered a review of speeding it up on 29 September. The squadrons are expected to regroup at Muan if a new airfield is built there.
Fighter and Drone Roadmap
The air force wants a fighter-teaming uncrewed aircraft in the early 2030s and an electronic-warfare aircraft by the mid-2030s. A Korean low-observable fighter and an uncrewed combat aircraft are planned for the mid-to-late 2030s, and a sixth-generation fighter for the 2050s and beyond. The first 40 KF-21s arrive from 2026 to 2028, and another 80 follow from 2029 to 2032.
Why It Matters
The following is analysis, not part of the Newspim report.
Demography and industrial policy are now shaping Korean airpower as directly as the threat is. A force with half as many conscripts has to rely on automation, uncrewed teammates and a professional cadre. That makes the drone-teaming roadmap a manpower necessity as much as a capability choice.
The Gwangju decision is just as revealing. Seoul is ranking chip production as a strategic asset on par with a fighter base. It is also betting that dispersing training squadrons across three bases will not weaken pilot production while the KF-21 enters service.
Source: Oh Dong-ryong, “[2026 국감] 공군 ‘2050년대 6세대 전투기 전력화… 2040년대 병사 절반 감축’,” Newspim, 20 October 2026 (Korean). https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20261020001155