Did you know? Incheon Airport was built on reclaimed tidal flats between two islands

Seoul's main international gateway stands on land that was once tidal flats. According to Incheon International Airport Corporation, the airport site was created by reclaiming the tidal land between Yeongjong Island and Yongyu Island, in what the operator describes as the biggest construction project in Korean history at the time.

The decision grew out of a travel boom. International air travel in Korea expanded quickly after the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the liberalisation of overseas travel in 1989 accelerated it further. That year, the airport says, international passenger numbers grew by 13% and domestic numbers by 30%, against a world average of 7%. Gimpo Airport kept expanding but could not keep up, so the government decided to build a new airport in the capital region.

The site was chosen methodically. In March 1989 a committee narrowed 22 candidate areas to seven and then to three finalists: Yeongjong Island, Sihwa 1 and Sihwa 2. Yeongjong, about 52 km from downtown Seoul, had roughly 200 households affected by noise, compared with 2,250 for Sihwa 1 and 650 for Sihwa 2. The committee chose it unanimously on 14 June 1990.

For passengers, that choice explains why the journey from central Seoul crosses water to reach the terminals. Allow for that distance when planning transfers, and check current transport options with the airport before travelling.