'Urban Railway Line 2 Controversy'... Integrated Metropolitan Government: "Not a Complete Reassessment"

Analyzing Phase 1 Issues to Improve Phase 2 Construction

Amid growing controversy over plans to re-examine the Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 project, Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Metropolitan City clarified that it does not intend to review the project from scratch.

On August 24, Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Metropolitan City issued a statement clarifying, "The re-examination of Urban Railway Line 2 is not a full-scale review of the project," adding, "Our aim is to analyze the causes of inconveniences experienced by citizens and the reasons for cost increases in Phase 1 construction, and to use these findings to come up with improvement measures for Phase 2."

At the end of June, the construction site of District 13 near the Yunnam Jugong Complex 5 intersection. Provided by Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeonnam.

The city explained that by strengthening project management from the early stages of Phase 2 construction, it seeks to minimize inconvenience for citizens and proactively identify potential causes of delay. The city also denied reports that Mayor Min Hyung-bae had ordered a comprehensive review of Urban Railway Line 2.

The city further stated, "We are currently preparing discussions to accurately identify the factors behind Phase 2 progress, causes of delays, changes in project cost, and timing of completion, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the stable completion of the project."

The Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 project, which has been underway since 2013, has seen both construction delays and rising building costs. As a result, the project’s budget has increased from the original 1.7 trillion won to approximately 3.206 trillion won.

The first phase, spanning a total length of 17 kilometers, is in the final stages of construction and is scheduled to open in 2027. As of this month, the completion rate stands at 99.65%. In contrast, the second phase, covering a 20-kilometer route, has seen some sections delayed due to problems selecting contractors, leaving certain construction zones yet to break ground. The overall completion rate for Phase 2 remains at 12.37%.

Previously, the city promoted the establishment of a dedicated task force (TF) to address issues such as increased costs and construction delays. However, since the specific subjects and scope for the review were not outlined, concerns arose that even the direction of current ongoing projects might be reassessed. The composition of the task force, the detailed scope of the review, and the operation schedule have not yet been disclosed.

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