Namhae County Council Concludes 296th Extraordinary Session, Urges Inclusion of Daejeon-Namhae Railway in National Railway Network Development Plan

Handled 18 agenda items, including ordinance bills and consent motions, at the second plenary session
Adopted resolution calling for the Daejeon-Namhae Railway to be included in the 5th National Railway Network Development Plan
Namhae Garlic Research Institute funding proposal postponed; support expressed for rural space restructuring plan

The Namhae County Council in South Gyeongsang Province concluded its 296th extraordinary session and adopted a resolution calling for the Daejeon-Namhae Railway Construction Project to be included in the National Railway Network Development Plan.

The council said it held its second plenary session on October 26, handled a total of 18 agenda items, including ordinance bills, consent motions and resolutions reviewed by the standing committees, and concluded the extraordinary session.

[Photo courtesy of Namhae County Council] Members of the Namhae County Council are urging that the Daejeon-Namhae Line railway construction project be included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. The council adopted a related resolution at its 296th extraordinary session.

During the session, 17 items, including ordinance bills and consent motions, were approved, while the council expressed support for one item on which it was asked to provide its opinion.

The Committee on Council Operations reviewed and approved without amendment a partial amendment to the ordinance on the payment of legislative activity expenses and other allowances to Namhae County Council members.

The Planning and Administration Committee approved without amendment 11 agenda items, including a partial amendment to the ordinance on the duties of village heads in Namhae County and the reimbursement of their actual expenses.

The Industry and Construction Committee reviewed the items under its jurisdiction and approved five without amendment. It also expressed support for the item seeking its opinion on the draft master plan for the restructuring and regeneration of rural spaces in Namhae County.

However, the proposal to fund the Namhae Garlic Research Institute, a foundation, in 2027 was postponed during committee review and was not submitted to the plenary session.

The main item considered during the extraordinary session was a resolution calling for the Daejeon-Namhae Railway Construction Project to be included in the 5th National Railway Network Development Plan.

Proposed by the Namhae County Council's special committee on the Daejeon-Namhae Railway Construction Project, the resolution calls for the project to be included in the National Railway Network Development Plan and requests government support for its implementation.

The council said the Daejeon-Namhae railway could help create a regional transportation network connecting the Chungcheong region, inland North Jeolla Province, western South Gyeongsang Province and the southern coast.

It added that expanding the rail network could improve access between regions and help attract more tourists, increase the resident population and revitalize the local economy.

Namhae County is calling for the railway to be included in the national plan, emphasizing that expanding rail services is necessary to improve local transportation conditions and strengthen the competitiveness of its tourism industry.

However, the Daejeon-Namhae Railway Construction Project is currently at the stage of seeking inclusion in the National Railway Network Development Plan. Whether it proceeds will depend on the government's planning and review process.

Following the adoption of the resolution, the Namhae County Council plans to convey the region's position to relevant agencies and continue its legislative activities to secure the project's inclusion in the national plan.

In his closing remarks, Namhae County Council Chair Jeong Hongchan said, "This extraordinary session was an opportunity for the council to unite behind the expansion of rail services that residents have been calling for. I thank my fellow council members for taking part in reviewing agenda items and carrying out legislative activities during the session, as well as the executive branch officials for their cooperation."

Meanwhile, the Namhae County Council plans to monitor follow-up procedures for the ordinance bills and other agenda items handled during the session and continue its legislative activities on local issues.

The resolution adopted during the extraordinary session calling for construction of the Daejeon-Namhae railway is significant because it formalized calls to improve Namhae County's transportation access and promote balanced regional development.

However, securing the project's inclusion in the National Railway Network Development Plan will require objective evidence, including the project's economic viability, transportation demand and route feasibility. The reasons for postponing the proposal to fund the Namhae Garlic Research Institute and the schedule for its future reconsideration also need to be clarified.

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