"Railway Network to Transform Gimcheon's Future"... All-Out Effort for Inclusion in National Plan

Proposal to the Ministry of Land and Transport for Inclusion in the Fifth National Railway Network Plan
Leveraging Railway Competitiveness to Secure Advantage in the Second Round of Public Institution Relocations

Gimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province has put the expansion of the national railway network at the core of its growth strategy for the next 100 years and is making multifaceted efforts to persuade the central government. Their strategy is to establish Gimcheon as a transportation hub supported by a dense metropolitan railway network and, building on this foundation, secure a competitive advantage in the upcoming second round of public institution relocations.

On July 28, Nakho Bae, Mayor of Gimcheon City, met with Jiseon Hong, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at the Government Complex Sejong to actively request that major local railway projects be included in the Fifth National Railway Network Establishment Plan.

On the 28th, Nakho Bae, mayor of Gimcheon City, met with Jiseon Hong, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at the Government Complex Sejong to actively request support so that major local railway projects can be included in the '5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan.'
Photo by Gimcheon City

On this day, Gimcheon City highlighted its regional strength as a central axis for national railway transportation that connects the Seoul metropolitan area with the Yeongnam and Chungcheong regions, and made a focused case for the need for new railway projects to be incorporated into the national plan.

The projects proposed by Gimcheon City include four new routes: the Daegu metropolitan railway extension to Gimcheon (Phase 2), the Gimcheon to Uiseong (New Airport) railway, the Cheongju Airport to Gimcheon railway, and the East-West transverse railway (Gimcheon to Jeonju). The city expects these projects to play a central role not only in enhancing interregional connectivity, but also in promoting balanced national development and strengthening logistics competitiveness.

In addition, the city requested continued government budget support and acceleration for the ongoing Southern Inland Railway (Gimcheon to Geoje) and Central Inland Railway (Gimcheon to Mungyeong) projects to ensure that progress continues smoothly.

The railway agenda naturally led to discussions on the second round of public institution relocations. Gimcheon City emphasized to the central government that its prior experience building an innovation city and the completed nationwide railway network would greatly enhance residential conditions and accessibility, making Gimcheon highly competitive as an optimal location for additional government agencies.

The city’s position is that expanding railway infrastructure is not merely about improving transportation, but serves as a core growth engine for industry, logistics, residential environments, and balanced national development—thus, strategic support at the national level is essential.

Mayor Nakho Bae stated, “Building the railway network is a crucial foundation that will define Gimcheon’s next 100 years,” adding, “We will continue close cooperation with central government agencies and spare no effort to ensure that major railway projects are included in the national plan.” He further emphasized, “With our outstanding railway and transportation infrastructure, we will also gain competitiveness in the second round of public institution relocations and create new growth engines for our region.”

The railway system is not just a means of transportation, but a growth infrastructure that determines the future of the city. Attention is focused on whether Gimcheon can position itself as a central pillar of balanced national development by linking railway network expansion with its strategy for public institution relocation.

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