Pusan East (K-9) Air Base

Pusan East (K-9) Air Base
Pusan East (K-9) Air Base in June 1953
Coordinates	35°10′10″N 129°07′54″E / 35.16944°N 129.13167°E / 35.16944; 129.13167
Type	Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1950
In use	1950-1990
Airfield information
Runways Direction Length and surface 14/32 unknown dimensions, hard

Pusan East (K-9) Air Base(동부산공군기지) was a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) air base adjacent to the Suyeong River in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea. It was redeveloped in the 1990s as Centum City, a commercial and residential area.

By the end of July 1950, UN forces had been pushed back into the Pusan Perimeter, which contained three airfields all in poor condition. Engineers urgently improved the former Japanese military airfield at K-9 to allow heavy transport aircraft such as C-54s to land there.^[1]

On 8 September 1950 the 18th Fighter Wing arrived at K-9 from Ashiya Air Field before moving to Pyongyang East Air Base (K-24) in November 1950.

On 5 March 1951 a USAF C-54 #42-72663 was damaged beyond repair at K-9.^[2]

On 23 May 1951 the 452d Bombardment Wing operating the Douglas A-26 Invader was deployed to K-9. On 10 May 1952 the 17th Bombardment Wing was activated at K-9 to replace the 452d.

K-9 was transferred to the South Korean military in 1956 and remained in use until the early 1990s.

Busan Suyeong Airport opened in August 1958 and renamed as Busan International Airport in September 1963. In August 1976 the airport was moved to its current location in Gimhae.

In the late 1990s the area was redeveloped as Centum City.

• Gimhae Air Base
• Gimhae International Airport

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force

• Photos and video taken on and around K-9 in 1952
• Aerial photos of K-9 taken in 1952/3