Yongin Special City Council: "Rail Network Essential to Semiconductor Industry Growth" ... Urges Inclusion of Six Projects in National Rail Network Plan

Resolution Co-Sponsored by Assemblymen Kang Youngwoong and Lee Sangwook Adopted
Includes the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway and Gyeonggang Line Extension
“Semiconductor Industrial Complex Development and Railway Network Expansion Must Proceed Together”
Calls on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Gyeonggi Province to Actively Cooperate

The Yongin Special City Council in Gyeonggi Province urged the government to include six railway projects, including the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway and the Gyeonggang Line extension, in the Fifth National Rail Network Construction Plan. The council said a metropolitan railway network should be built proactively to prepare for population growth and increased traffic demand resulting from the development of semiconductor industrial complexes.

Yongin Special City Council members Kang Youngwoong (left) and Lee Sangwook pose for a commemorative photo on the 15th after adopting a resolution at the second plenary session of the 307th extraordinary session, urging the inclusion of six railway projects, including the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway, in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. Photo courtesy of Yongin City Council.

The Yongin Special City Council, led by Chair Jang Jeongsoon, adopted a resolution on the 15th during the second plenary session of its 307th extraordinary session, calling for the projects to be included in the Fifth National Rail Network Construction Plan to support the development of Korea and southern Gyeonggi Province.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Lee Sangwook of the Democratic Party of Korea and Assemblyman Kang Youngwoong of the People Power Party.

In explaining the proposal, the two assemblymen said, "Yongin is a key hub for Korea's advanced industries, with large-scale semiconductor investments underway," and stressed that "industrial complexes must be developed alongside an expansion of the railway network to enhance the competitiveness of strategic national industries."

The six projects the council called on the government to include in the National Rail Network Construction Plan are the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway, the Gyeonggang Line extension, the Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway, the Bundang Line extension, the Southern Gyeonggi East-West Line, and quadruple tracking for the SRT.

The Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway project aims to ease traffic congestion in the southern Seoul metropolitan area by connecting major cities including Yongin, Suwon, Seongnam, and Hwaseong. The Gyeonggang Line extension aims to improve transportation in eastern Yongin, where access to rail services is relatively limited, and promote balanced regional development.

The Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway would connect the Idong-Namsa National Industrial Complex in Yongin with major hubs, while the Bundang Line extension would address metropolitan transportation demand in the Suji and Giheung areas.

The proposed Southern Gyeonggi East-West Line would connect semiconductor industry hubs from east to west, including Dongtan, the Idong-Namsa National Industrial Complex, the Wonsam Semiconductor Cluster, and SK hynix in Icheon. Quadruple tracking for the SRT would increase high-speed rail capacity in southern Gyeonggi Province to prepare for future growth in transportation demand.

The council emphasized that these projects are not merely an expansion of local transportation networks, but key infrastructure supporting the competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor industry.

It noted that demand for travel by workers and partner companies is expected to rise once the semiconductor industrial complexes become fully operational, and warned that traffic congestion could worsen if railway construction is delayed.

The council therefore called on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to include the six railway projects in the national plan and expedite subsequent administrative procedures. It also urged Gyeonggi Province to step up consultations with the ministry and actively cooperate in advancing the projects.

In its resolution, the council said, "Railway projects are strategic national infrastructure that supports Korea's national competitiveness and the sustainable development of southern Gyeonggi Province, going beyond resolving transportation issues in individual regions," and added, "We strongly urge the inclusion of these projects in the National Rail Network Construction Plan, expressing the united will of 1.11 million Yongin residents."

The Yongin Special City Council plans to deliver the resolution to relevant organizations, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Assembly, Gyeonggi Province, and the city councils of Suwon, Hwaseong, and Seongnam.

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