“Not Being in Top 3 Priorities Means It’s Not Included in Railway Plan” Misrepresentation
(Suwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Hae-min reports that Ko Yeong-in, Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province for Economy, warned certain local government heads on the 10th not to obstruct the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway project with distorted claims.
During a press briefing at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office, Vice Governor Ko stated, “Some local government heads are spreading inaccurate claims that if a route is not selected among the three priorities proposed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, it won’t be considered at all, causing public anxiety.”
He explained that the Ministry’s demand to select only three out of 40 new railway projects in the province was “unrealistic,” and that the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway has a very high chance of being included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. He added that Governor Kim Dong-yeon recently met with Maeng Sung-kyu, Chairman of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee, to request the project’s inclusion and emphasized that the province is in deep discussions with related ministries.
He further urged to avoid politicizing the railway and stop actions that cause misunderstanding among residents.
The Mayors of Yongin and Seongnam, members of the opposition People’s Power Party, criticized Governor Kim for excluding the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway project from the three priority projects reported to the Ministry last June, accusing him of only focusing on his own campaign promises.
The previous day, Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin released a statement accusing Governor Kim’s response to the “Gyeonggi Provincial Petition” regarding the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway request as mere excuses to evade responsibility, and accused him of deceitfully misleading the public.
Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin also urged the governor to ensure that the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway, which has high business feasibility, is included in the national railway network plan, rather than focusing solely on campaign promises.
A Gyeonggi provincial official noted that, while they were compelled to recommend three priority projects due to the Ministry’s requirements last year, they are actively advocating for the inclusion of other projects, including the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway, in the railway network plan. “Now is the time for everyone to unite to maximize the inclusion of new provincial projects in the railway network plan,” the official said.
The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway (linking Seoul Sports Complex Station, Suseo Station, Seongnam Pangyo, Yongin Sinbong, Suwon Gwanggyo, and Hwaseong Bongdam) is a project jointly pursued by the cities of Yongin, Seongnam, Suwon, and Hwaseong. A joint research report by the four cities showed a benefit-cost ratio (BC) of 1.2 for the project.