KTX Connects the Nation, Airports Link It to the World... Gwangmyeong Seeks 50,000-Seat Dome Stadium

Gwangmyeong City: Why Gwangmyeong for a 50,000-Seat Domed Stadium? ... A Super-Regional Transportation Hub

Shinansan and Wolgot-Pangyo Lines Set for Expansion ... Plans to Make Hak-on Station a Transfer Hub

Mayor Park Seungwon: "Building on Our Extensive Transportation Network ... We Will Make It a Centerpiece of K-Culture"

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province is seeking to attract a 50,000-seat domed stadium, highlighting KTX Gwangmyeong Station, metropolitan railways and transport links to airports. The city plans to ensure easy access for visitors from across Korea and overseas, and to handle large-scale events by connecting the rail network near the proposed site with the transportation system of the new town.

Promotional material for Gwangmyeong City's bid to host a 50,000-seat domed stadium. Courtesy of Gwangmyeong City.

Gwangmyeong City, led by Mayor Park Seungwon, views the transportation infrastructure centered on KTX Gwangmyeong Station as a key competitive advantage for the stadium site. The city says it can draw both visitors from other regions who travel by high-speed rail, including the Gyeongbu and Honam lines, and users of public transportation in the Seoul metropolitan area. With access from anywhere in the country in around two hours, Gwangmyeong is considered an ideal location to help close the cultural divide between regions and expand cultural opportunities for people outside the Seoul metropolitan area, overcoming the limitations of major performance venues concentrated in central Seoul.

Gwangmyeong Station is currently connected to Seoul Subway Line 1. The city expects access to improve from major business and residential areas, including Yeouido in Seoul and Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province, once the under-construction Shinansan Line and Wolgot-Pangyo Line open.

The city has set 2028 as the target opening year for the Shinansan Line and 2030 for the Wolgot-Pangyo Line. Gwangmyeong City expects access to major hubs in the Seoul metropolitan area to improve significantly, with the Shinansan Line providing travel to Yeouido in Seoul in around 20 minutes and the Wolgot-Pangyo Line connecting to Pangyo in around 20 minutes.

The city also cited the construction of a dedicated high-speed rail line between Susaek and Gwangmyeong as a project that will transform transportation conditions. The line will run from Susaek in Seoul to Gwangmyeong Station via Seoul Station and Yongsan Station, with service targeted to begin in 2036. According to the city, once completed, the KTX travel time between Seoul and Gwangmyeong is expected to be cut by about 9 minutes and 15 seconds, while the number of daily services is projected to rise from 147 to 183.

Airport connections for international visitors are another strength the city is highlighting. The city says that services such as the city airport terminal at Gwangmyeong Station and direct buses to Incheon International Airport could make travel easier for international tourists and event personnel. It also expects the planned GTX-D line to improve access to Incheon Airport and southern Seoul.

Railway network expansion, including the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Line, is planned around the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Third New Town, where the proposed domed stadium site is located. In particular, Gwangmyeong City is focused on developing Hak-on Station on the Shinansan Line as a transfer hub connected to the Wolgot-Pangyo Line.

Gwangmyeong City said it received a response from the Korea National Railway that trains on the Wolgot-Pangyo Line could stop at Hak-on Station on the condition that the party responsible for the project covers the costs. The city plans to discuss cost-sharing and other matters with relevant agencies. The city expects that, once train stops and a transfer system are in place, visitors leaving performances or sporting events at the same time could be dispersed across multiple rail lines.

Transportation from the rail stations to the domed stadium is also a challenge. Gwangmyeong City is considering using future mobility options, such as autonomous buses and robot taxis planned for the Gwangmyeong-Siheung new town, for connecting transportation.

A view of Gwangmyeong City Hall. Provided by Gwangmyeong City.

Gwangmyeong City and Siheung City were selected in 2023 for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's "Mobility Specialized City Development Project." Their plan is to build roads suited to autonomous driving and next-generation transfer centers in the new town, and to manage traffic volumes and signal systems through an artificial intelligence-based integrated control system.

Gwangmyeong City is presenting these transportation plans as part of its case for attracting the domed stadium. The city says that, once railway openings, transfer facilities and connections between stations and the stadium take shape, it will be able to improve access for large crowds while managing transportation demand before and after events.

Mayor Park Seungwon said, "Gwangmyeong is connected to the whole country through KTX Gwangmyeong Station and has a comprehensive transportation network that extends across the Seoul metropolitan area and out to the world through metropolitan railways and airport connections. Building on this transportation advantage, we will make the 50,000-seat domed stadium a central stage for K-culture, attracting visitors from Korea and abroad and successfully hosting world-class performances and sporting events."

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