Chu Mi-ae and Woo Sang-ho Join Forces to Promote Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway... First Step Toward Ultra-Wide Regional Alliance

Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Pocheon, and Cheorwon Form Ultra-Wide Regional Alliance
Joint Proposal Submitted to the Government
24km, Four-Lane Two-Way Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway to Be Built
Travel Time to Be Reduced from 50 Minutes to 15 Minutes
Chu Mi-ae: "Compensation for Security Sacrifices... The Project Must Pass the Feasibility Study"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Chu Mi-ae and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor Woo Sang-ho have joined forces to construct an expressway connecting Pocheon in Gyeonggi and Cheorwon in Gangwon. With the preliminary feasibility assessment expected in October 2026, they have initiated an ultra-wide regional alliance to expand the transportation network at the Gyeonggi-Gangwon border and promote balanced regional development.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho, Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun, and Cheorwon County Governor Kim Dong-il are posing for a commemorative photo after signing the 'Inter-Agency Agreement for the Preliminary Feasibility Study Clearance of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway' at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 4th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Governor Chu, Governor Woo, Pocheon Mayor Baek Younghyun, and Cheorwon County Governor Kim Dongil signed an “Inter-agency Memorandum of Understanding for Passing the Preliminary Feasibility Study of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway” at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on September 4, 2026. The signing ceremony was attended by over 20 people, including National Assembly members Han Giho and Kim Yongtae of the People Power Party.

The four local governments agreed to work together to pass the preliminary feasibility study and expedite the Pocheon-Cheorwon expressway project. They also adopted a joint proposal to improve transportation accessibility in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon, achieve balanced development for border and underdeveloped areas, revitalize the local economy, and enhance residents' transportation convenience. The joint statement will be submitted later this month to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Governor Chu stated, “Based on the principle that special sacrifices deserve special compensation, we have taken the first step toward a bipartisan and ultra-wide alliance to fulfill the long-cherished aspiration of residents in the peace region for the construction of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway. Once completed, the expressway will reduce travel time between Pocheon and Cheorwon from 50 minutes to just 15 minutes, providing tangible transportation welfare that will change the daily lives of residents.”

She further emphasized, “Beyond merely expanding road infrastructure, this will create a new axis of South Korea's peace economy, transforming peace into economic growth and providing a foundation for national balanced development. It is imperative that the preliminary feasibility study recognizes the policy legitimacy of fairly compensating seven decades of security sacrifices and facilitating a major transformation in the peace region.”

Governor Woo added, “The Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway is a national project that will connect the Seoul metropolitan area and northern Gangwon, laying the groundwork for balanced regional development and the peace economy.”

Gyeonggi Province Governor Chu Mi-ae is giving a greeting at the 'Interagency Agreement for the Preliminary Feasibility Study Approval of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway' at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 4th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway project involves constructing a four-lane, two-way road stretching 24 kilometers from Sinbuk Interchange in Pocheon City to the Sincheorwon area in Cheorwon County. The total project cost is estimated at 1.3305 trillion won. This plan extends the current Guri-Pocheon Expressway to the border region, and once opened, it will form an arterial transport axis from Sejong, passing through northern Gyeonggi to Cheorwon.

Both Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province expect the expressway to increase accessibility between the Seoul metropolitan area and northern Gangwon, thereby reducing transport inconvenience for border region residents and fostering logistics, tourism, and corporate investment. In particular, it is regarded as a key facility to provide a growth foundation for Pocheon and Cheorwon, areas that have long been excluded from development due to military facility restrictions and lack of transportation networks.

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