Sancheong County Seeks National Assembly Support for Including Daejeon-Namhae Line in National Rail Network Development Plan

County Governor Yoo Myunghyun and Council Chair An Cheonwon visit National Assembly to explain need for route through Sancheong

Proposed line to span 203 kilometers and cost about 5.6 trillion won; efforts underway to improve rail access in western South Gyeongsang Province

County seeks inclusion in 5th National Rail Network Development Plan; plans joint response with neighboring local governments

Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province has visited the National Assembly to request government-level review and support for including the Daejeon-Namhae Line railway construction project in the 5th National Rail Network Development Plan (2026-2035). The proposed line would connect Daejeon with western South Gyeongsang Province and the south coast.

Sancheong County said County Governor Yoo Myunghyun, Sancheong County Council Chair An Cheonwon and county council members visited the National Assembly and explained the need to include the Daejeon-Namhae Line in the National Rail Network Development Plan, as well as the feasibility of a route passing through Sancheong.

[Photo courtesy of Sancheong County] Sancheong County Governor Yoo Myeonghyeon, Sancheong County Council Chair An Cheonwon, and county council members pose for a commemorative photo after visiting the National Assembly to urge lawmaker Shin Seongbeom of the People Power Party, who represents Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang, and Hapcheon, to include the Daejeon-Namhae railway construction project in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

During the visit, they met with Yoo Eui-dong, chair of the National Assembly's Construction and Transportation Committee, and local constituency lawmaker Shin Seongbeom (People Power Party; representing Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang and Hapcheon). They shared their views on the need to pursue the railway project, local transportation conditions, and its potential impact on tourism and the economy.

The Daejeon-Namhae Line is a railway route that would run from Daejeon through western South Gyeongsang Province to the south coast. The project proposed by Sancheong County would span 203 kilometers and cost approximately 5.6 trillion won.

At present, some cities and counties in western South Gyeongsang Province, including Sancheong, have relatively limited access to rail transportation and rely heavily on roads to travel to major cities.

Sancheong County believes that if the Daejeon-Namhae Line is included in the National Rail Network Development Plan and the project proceeds, it will improve transportation links between the central region and western South Gyeongsang Province.

The county says that establishing a regional rail network connecting Daejeon, the Jirisan area and the south coast would make travel between regions more convenient and improve access for tourists.

The county believes that a railway route passing through Sancheong would help connect tourism resources in the Jirisan area with tourist destinations along the south coast.

Sancheong has natural, ecological, cultural and leisure tourism resources centered on Jirisan, but is considered an area where access by public transportation needs improvement.

Accordingly, the county expects that building the railway would expand tourists' travel options and help develop the foundation for longer-stay tourism by linking accommodations with leisure and experience-based facilities.

The county is also considering ways to link construction of the Daejeon-Namhae Line with key tourism policies under its 9th popularly elected administration.

As it pursues the development of a tourism belt around Jirisan and the promotion of Sancheong as a resort city, the county believes that expanding the rail network could help secure long-term tourism infrastructure.

The county also believes that improved rail access could affect related industries, including lodging, restaurants and tourism services, if it leads to an increase in tourist arrivals and local spending.

However, these effects could vary depending on the route ultimately selected, the locations of stations, train schedules and whether connecting transport networks to tourist facilities are established.

The visit to the National Assembly was an effort to request the inclusion of the Daejeon-Namhae Line in the National Rail Network Development Plan; it does not mean that the railway project has been approved or that funding has been secured.

Even if the project is included in the National Rail Network Development Plan, further steps will be needed before it can proceed, including reviews of its economic viability and policy merits, related administrative procedures and securing funding.

Sancheong County Governor Yoo Myunghyun said, "The Daejeon-Namhae Line is regional transport infrastructure connecting the central region, western South Gyeongsang Province, the Jirisan area and the south coast. We will consult with relevant organizations to have it included in the National Rail Network Development Plan so that improved rail access can support local tourism and economic activity."

Sancheong County plans to continue explaining the need for the project and local transportation conditions to relevant organizations, including local lawmakers and central government ministries.

It also plans to establish a cooperative framework with local governments in western South Gyeongsang Province connected to the route and pursue joint requests and policy consultations.

In particular, the county will assess transportation demand and the benefits of improved interregional connectivity to support the need for a route through Sancheong, and will continue its efforts to secure the project's inclusion in the 5th National Rail Network Development Plan.

Sancheong County is seeking parliamentary support and cooperation among neighboring local governments to have the Daejeon-Namhae Line included in the National Rail Network Development Plan. To improve the project's prospects, detailed assessments are needed of transportation demand along each route, economic viability and ways to secure funding.

Key outstanding tasks include presenting objective evidence to support the feasibility of the route through Sancheong and developing a joint response through consultations among local governments in western South Gyeongsang Province.

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