SEOUL GIMPO AIRPORT

Gimpo International Airport (GMP), in Seoul, South Korea is so much more than just an airport. Other than the two passenger terminals, Domestic and International, it also has a cargo terminal, the Gimpo Airport Observatory, a hospital, a mall, a driving range and a Sky Park.

The Lotte Mall is located opposite both the terminals and includes a department store, a cinema, a hotel, a mart and a shopping mall. Sky Park is directly connected to the airport and is a nature-friendly cultural relaxation space.

To transfer between the different facilities at the airport there is an Airport Shuttle Bus service.

Gimpo International Airport has the IATA code GMP and the ICAO code RKSS. It is located in the far west area of Seoul approximately 15 km/9 mi from the city center. Up until 2001 Gimpo Airport was the main airport servicing Seoul and South Korea, before being replaced by Incheon International Airport as the main airport. Today it is the third largest airport in South Korea, after Incheon and Jeju International Airport. The airport used to be a part of the nearby town Gimpo which also gave it its name.

Gimpo Airport was first constructed as an Imperial Army base beginning in 1935 during the Japanese Imperial period. At that time the runways were built on rocks manually hauled by Korean labourers and it was known as Kimpo Airport. It was constructed to supplement the smaller Keijo New Airfield later known as Yeouido Airport.

During the Korean War the USAF designated the airfield as Kimpo Air Base or K-14. After Seoul was captured by KPA in June 1950 Gimpo was captured too and the base was used for attacks on UN forces in July. In August the same year Gimpo was bombed 9 aircrafts were destroyed and 9 more were damaged by 5th Air Force fighters.  Through a presidential decree in 1958 Kimpo Airport became Gimpo International Airport and it soon became the main airport of Seoul.

A new combined domestic and international terminal was opened in 1971 but in 1977 following the opening of another new terminal it was converted to a domestic terminal only. Terminal 2 was opened due to the Olympic Games in 1988.

Due to a combination of Gimpo soon having more flights than it could handle, partly due to the overnight curfew all of South Korea was under for decades that limited the airport’s night-time operation possibilities, a new airport was opened in Incheon and all international flights were moved there in 2001. In 2003 “shuttle” flights to Tokyo started after which other regular flights, mainly routes to Shanghai, Osaka and Beijing, followed.

The total number of international passengers at Gimpo went from less than one million in 2005 to more than four million in 2012. Since then an expansion and remodeling of the terminals went into effect in 2013, adding new gates and security checkpoints and in 2017 it was announced by the Korean Government that a new domestic terminal would be built to meet the growing domestic traffic. In 2019 the total number of passengers coming through the airport was 25,448,416 and 140,422 aircraft moved through it. Gimpo has two asphalt runways of 3,200 m/10,499 ft and 3,600 m/11,811 ft. Gimpo International Airport is the hub for Asiana Airlines and Korean Air.

Arrivals, Departures and Airlines at Seoul Gimpo Airport

• See live flight arrivals information at Seoul Gimpo Airport
• See live flight departures information at Seoul Gimpo Airport
• See all airlines and routes that serve Seoul Gimpo Airport

Smoking at Gimpo Airport

There is no smoking in the Domestic Terminal of the airport, but there is one or two smoking lounges located on the second and third floors of the International Terminal.

Shopping at Gimpo Airport

Both the domestic and the international terminals have a few shops, but the real shopping can be done in the Mall across the road from both terminal buildings. Here you can find clothes and accessories, technology, jewelry and much more as well as a cinema.

WiFi at Gimpo Airport

Seoul Gimpo Airport offers free WiFi to its visitors and there is also an internet zone situated in the International Terminal. Connect to SSID GMP free Wi-Fi and choose your operating system, choose your operating system, open your browser and register. Once the registration is submitted you have 240 minutes free use of the services.

Food at Gimpo Airport

There are plenty of places to eat in the two terminals, both land-side and air-side.

Parking at Gimpo Airport

There are up to 6,000 parking spaces available at Gimpo International Airport, GMP divided into 4 separate parking lots with separate parking fee systems. Vehicles are divided into small and large and the fee is based on which category the car falls under. Valet Parking is also available.

Transfers at Gimpo Airport

Rental Cars – The car rental companies at Gimpo Airport are situated in the Domestic terminal on the arrivals floor. For passengers arriving or departing the International terminal the Airport Shuttle Bus will transfer the between the two points. Please make sure to follow the instructions given by the rental car company of choice.

Buses – There are many bus lines servicing Gimpo Airport and the bus stops are easily found right outside the exits from the arrivals floor of the terminals. Taking the bus is the cheapest option of transfer, but is also the one taking the longest time. The fare is around 1,400 Won and the ride takes up to 45 minutes.

Taxis – The taxi ranks at Gimpo Airport are located right across the road from the arrival floor exits. There are four different options, Standard, Deluxe, Jumbo or International Taxi. The International Taxi offers services in English, Japanese and Chinese and it needs to be booked at least 24 hours ahead of your arrival.

Trains – The subway station can be reached through the escalators within the terminal and there are 4 different lines servicing the airport.
The All Stops lines, 5 and 9, are the cheapest and it stops in many different locations, some which offer connections to other subway lines.
The Airport Railway line connects Gimpo Airport with both Seoul and Incheon International Airport.
The last line services areas around Gimpo, but does not go to Seoul.

Hotels near Gimpo Airport

There are a number of hotels to suit all budgets and requirements at or near Gimpo Airport.

Additional Services and Amenities at Gimpo Airport

At Gimpo Airport you will find the usual array of bars and restaurants, airport lounges and shops.

• See all bars and restaurants inside Gimpo Airport
• See and book airport lounges at Gimpo Airport
• Plan your shopping in advance - see all the shops (including duty-free) at Gimpo Airport

Things to do in Seoul

There are a number of activities to suit all ages and interests in the region - see a selection of tourist activities in Seoul, South Korea

Gimpo Airport Contact Details:

Address: Gimpo International Airport, 112 Haneul-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
General phone: +82 2 1661 2626
Lost and found phone: +82 2 2660 4097
Official website: https://www.airport.co.kr/gimpoeng/index.do

Local Information

Drive on: Right
Electricity: 220V/60Hz
Plug: F
Currency: KRW – Won - ₩