World's largest art storage in Incheon International Airport to become general zone, not national security zone

A bird\'s-eye view of the art storage under construction in the security zone in Incheon International Airport in Yeongjong-do, Incheon. Courtesy of Incheon International Airport Corporation

The world's largest art storage to be built at Incheon International Airport was initially planned to be designated as a security zone, but it will be promoted by changing it to a general zone. This is because it has been pointed out that it is a privilege to protect private artworks owned by overseas tycoons in a national security zone.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on July 17 that it plans to change the art storage to a general-use cargo warehouse and resubmit a business license application to the government this month.

This follows a recent decision by the Seoul Regional Office of Aviation, under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, that the art storage cannot be designated as a security zone in relation to the “Incheon International Airport Art Storage Development Project Implementation Permit Application” submitted by Incheon International Airport Corporation in April.

In August 2022, Incheon International Airport Corporation signed an implementation agreement with Arshexa PFV. It plans to invest 37.95 billion won to build the world's largest art storage with a total area of 83,228 square meters, including one basement and four floors, above the ground on 43,669 square meters next to Incheon International Airport's Runway 4 with the goal of opening it in 2026.

It will be used for long-term storage of expensive artworks owned by overseas wealthy individuals, rather than domestic artworks. The company will receive up to 6 billion won a year in rent from the storage. As a facility for the protection and storage of artworks, Incheon International Airport Corporation has designated the warehouse as a security zone, as “security” is important.

However, there were many voices saying that protecting privately owned high-priced items in the national security zone would give preferential treatment to specific companies. If the storage is in a security zone, art exhibitions will not be allowed and public access will be prohibited.

In particular, if an artwork from a foreign country enters Korea and then moves to a security zone, it becomes a “transshipment cargo.” In general, a transshipment cargo must be taken out to a third country within 20 days.

On the other hand, Incheon International Airport Corporation has signed a lease with Arshexa for up to 30 years for the art storage. To date, there is no legal basis for long-term storage of transshipment cargo in the country's security zone.

It was also pointed out that it would be inconsistent with Spasys One's “Art Storage,” which is scheduled to open as early as October after renovating a logistics warehouse of 4,488 square meters. It will be located in the Incheon International Airport Free Trade Zone. Spasys One's art storage will be used for short-term storage of artworks traveling by air for exhibitions in Korea and abroad.

The Seoul Regional Office of Aviation, which manages and oversees Incheon International Airport, recently decided that the art storage cannot be designated as a security zone for this reason. “Most of the art storage facilities at overseas airports are in general zones, not security zones,” said an official from the Seoul Regional Office of Aviation.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.