Governor Choo Meets Minister of Land, Urges Inclusion of Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad in National Railway Plan

Governor Choo Persuades Central Government to Include Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad

Jamsil–Bongdam Line Seen as Key Transportation Network to Boost Semiconductor Belt Competitiveness

Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad: Severe Congestion Mitigation, Outstanding B/C Feasibility

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae has begun lobbying the government to include the "Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad"—a key project to alleviate traffic congestion in southern Gyeonggi—in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

On the 27th, Governor Chu Mi-ae met with Kim Yoon-duk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at the Seoul Land Development Exhibition Hall to request the inclusion of the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad project in the National Railroad Network Plan. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

On the 27th, Governor Choo met with Kim Yoon-duk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at the Seoul National Land Development Exhibition Hall, explained the necessity of the major railway projects proposed by Gyeonggi Province, and strongly urged that the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad project be included in the national railway network plan.

On this day, Governor Choo detailed the justification for 40 railway projects submitted by Gyeonggi Province, including 3 high-speed railways, 8 conventional railways, and 29 metropolitan railway lines. She placed particular emphasis on the necessity of promoting the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad, which was selected as “Citizen Petition No. 1” under the 9th popularly elected administration.

Governor Choo said, “The transportation network connecting Hwaseong and Seoul is an area where severe congestion recurs during commuting hours. Joint studies by the relevant cities and counties showed that its economic feasibility (B/C) was the highest, and with solid financial conditions in the related local governments, if only central government support is provided, there will be no difficulty pushing the project forward.”

The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad is a 50.7-kilometer double-track railway connecting Jamsil, Pangyo, Suji, Gwanggyo, and Bongdam. Upon completion, travel time from Bongdam to Jamsil Sports Complex is expected to be reduced to about 58 minutes.

This project is regarded as a key metropolitan transportation network that could resolve the transportation inconveniences of 4.2 million residents in the southern Gyeonggi region, where accessibility to Seoul is relatively lacking.

Particularly, on July 12, the number of citizens who participated in a Gyeonggi Province petition demanding the inclusion of the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad in the national railway network plan surpassed 10,000. This made it the first Gyeonggi Province petition selected since Governor Choo took office. Under the Gyeonggi Province petition system, the governor responds personally to petitions that receive the consent of more than a certain number of residents.

Governor Choo also emphasized the need to expand the metropolitan transport network in the Seoul metropolitan area, such as the GTX (Great Train Express).

She stated, “Having personally experienced commuting in Gyeonggi Province, I know that bottlenecks are occurring in various locations including around the Hwaseong Kia Motors Plant. If Gyeonggi Province routes are included in the national railway network plan, it will greatly strengthen the competitiveness of the Southern Gyeonggi semiconductor belt as well.”

Governor Choo Mi-ae met with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-duk at the Seoul Land Development Exhibition Hall on the 27th to request the inclusion of the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad project in the national railway network plan. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Immediately after the meeting with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a video message was recorded on-site for residents in response to “Citizen Petition No. 1” of the 9th administration.

In the video, Governor Choo stated, “The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad is a ready-to-go project whose economic feasibility (B/C 1.2) and validity have already been verified through a joint study by the four cities involved. Following a meeting with the Minister of Economy and Finance, I personally conveyed the necessity of this project to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as well.”

She added, “With a firm determination to keep the promise made to residents, I will focus all of Gyeonggi Province’s administrative capacity on ensuring the project is included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.”

Going forward, Gyeonggi Province plans to continue close consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other related organizations to maximize the inclusion of major railway projects, including the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railroad, in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.