Mayor Park Seungwon: "From KTX Gwangmyeong Station to Europe... Connecting Eurasia with a Peace Railway"

Gwangmyeong City Meets Irkutsk Mayor in Russia
Sharing the Vision for a Peace Railway Departing from KTX Gwangmyeong Station
Promoting Expanded Exchange in Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environmental Initiatives

Seungwon Park, mayor of Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province, has put forward a vision for the "Eurasia Peace Railway," which would start from KTX Gwangmyeong Station and continue through North Korea, China, Mongolia, and Russia all the way to Europe.

Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, is seen having a conversation with Ruslan Nikolaevich Bolotov, Mayor of Irkutsk City, Russia, at the House of Europe Hotel in Irkutsk on the 26th local time. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

On September 1, Gwangmyeong City announced that Mayor Park, together with the "Eurasia Peace Rail Gwangmyeong Expedition," visited Mongolia and Russia, where he met Ruslan Nikolaevich Bolotov, mayor of Irkutsk, Russia, on the 26th of last month.

At the meeting, Mayor Park said, "If the day comes when the railway on the Korean Peninsula is reconnected and extends to Europe via China, Mongolia, and Russia, KTX Gwangmyeong Station could serve as a crucial point of departure in Korea toward Eurasia."

Gwangmyeong City is pursuing the "Eurasia Peace Railway" project, which would connect with the 9,288 km-long Trans-Siberian Railway, running from KTX Gwangmyeong Station through North Korea to Vladivostok and Moscow in Russia.

Mayor Park emphasized, "Connecting railways means connecting paths for exchange and creating pathways for people to meet. Railways will become more than just a transport network; they will be avenues of peace linking people to people and city to city."

In response, Mayor Bolotov said, "I would like to continue our exchanges with Gwangmyeong City and expand cooperation between the two cities," adding, "If the opportunity arises, I hope to visit Gwangmyeong City myself to discuss specific plans for exchange."

As a major hub of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Irkutsk is a vital transportation point linking Russia to Mongolia, China, and Europe. Centered around Lake Baikal, Irkutsk also boasts a wealth of historical, cultural, and tourism resources. After exchanging a letter of intent for economic and friendly exchange in 2017, Gwangmyeong City and Irkutsk have resumed official cooperation discussions after nine years.

The two cities plan to expand cooperation not only on rail connections but also in tourism and culture, youth exchanges, and climate and environmental initiatives. They will prepare exchange programs for future generations to experience the history and culture of Eurasia by traveling between the two cities. The cities also aim to share Irkutsk's experience in protecting the environment of Lake Baikal and Gwangmyeong City's carbon neutrality policy.

Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, met with Ruslan Nikolaevich Volotov, Mayor of Irkutsk City, at the House of Europe Hotel in Irkutsk, Russia, on the 26th local time to explain the concept of the Eurasia Peace Railway starting from KTX Gwangmyeong Station. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

This visit was part of the "Eurasia Peace Rail Gwangmyeong Expedition," which took place from August 23 to 30. Mayor Park, along with city officials, peace and unification experts, and citizen representatives—a group totaling 30 participants—joined the expedition.

The group visited the Lee Taijun Memorial Park in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, then crossed the Altanbulag–Kyakhta border overland. Next, they took the Trans-Siberian Railway from Ulan-Ude, Russia, to Irkutsk. The expedition explored various sites tied to Eurasia's history and cross-cultural exchange, including the Koryo-saram community, Lake Baikal, and the Siberian Railway, before returning to Korea on August 30.

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