Official Designation of Goyang Changneung and Tanhyeon Public Housing Districts by Ministry of Land on 6th
Sales in 2022... Move-in Expected from 2026
Core of Metropolitan Transport Network is 'Goyang Line' Connecting Eunpyeong-gu and Goyang City Hall
However, Feasibility Study Approval Uncertain... Wirye Faces 'Traffic Hell' Due to Delay in Wirye Sinsa Line Project
▲ Bird's-eye view of Changneung New Town, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province (Provided by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The Goyang Changneung New Town project, one of the third-generation new towns, has entered the main track. The Changneung New Town, which will supply 38,000 households, is expected to start sales as early as 2022. However, although move-ins are scheduled to begin in earnest around 2026, concerns remain over the uncertain expansion of transportation networks.
On the 6th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 4th that it would designate two public housing districts in Goyang City?Changneung (38,000 households) and Tanhyeon (3,000 households)?as part of the 'Supply Plan for 300,000 Households in the Metropolitan Area.' This designation follows prior consultations with the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, resident public hearings, strategic environmental impact assessments, and reviews by the Central Urban Planning Committee since April last year.
Among these, the Changneung district, covering an area of 8,127,000 square meters, was announced last May as a large-scale housing site development target along with the Daejang district in Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, which will supply 20,000 households. Together with the previously announced Incheon Gyeyang (17,000 households), Gyeonggi Namyangju Wang-suk (66,000 households), and Hanam Gyosan (32,000 households), it completes the final puzzle of the 'third-generation new towns.' The designation of the Bucheon Daejang district is expected as early as next month.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to begin sales of Changneung New Town as early as the end of 2022. A ministry official said, "Considering that it usually takes about three years from the announcement of tenant recruitment to actual move-in, the first move-ins are likely to occur around 2026 to 2027."
However, it remains uncertain whether the planned expansion of the metropolitan transportation network will be completed by that time. When announcing the Changneung New Town plan last May, the ministry decided to promote the Goyang Line as a core task of the metropolitan transportation network for Changneung New Town. This project involves constructing a new approximately 14.5 km section from Saejeol Station on Seoul Subway Line 6 to Goyang City Hall. The ministry plans to enhance convenience by connecting this line directly with the Western Line (scheduled to open in 2028), which links Saejeol Station, Sinchon, Yeouido, and Seoul National University.
Industry insiders fear a recurrence of the Wirye New Town situation if the new railway line is not completed by the first move-in date. The 'Wirye-Sinsa Line,' connecting a 14.83 km section from Wirye to Sinsa-dong in Gangnam-gu, was announced in 2008 but has yet to break ground. Only in January was the consortium company 'Gangnam Metro,' led by GS Construction, selected as the preferred negotiator after 12 years. Seoul City plans to start construction as early as next year, aiming for completion by 2026 to 2027. This means it will be completed 20 years after the plan was announced.
Meanwhile, Wirye New Town has had to bear the stigma of being a 'transportation blind spot' due to continuous delays in expanding the metropolitan transportation network. The Wirye-Sinsa Line was originally planned to start construction in 2013, coinciding with the first move-in period of Wirye New Town, but delays in the project have caused severe traffic congestion complaints from Wirye residents.
▲ Wirye Sinsa Line scheduled to begin construction 13 years after the first plan was established in 2008
The ministry plans to complete the Goyang Line by the time all move-ins to Changneung New Town are finished after 2030, even if not by the first move-in date, since sales will be conducted over several years after the initial sale. However, the preliminary feasibility study remains an obstacle. The Wirye-Sinsa Line project was also delayed due to the time-consuming preliminary feasibility study and other procedures.
In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) explained that since the Goyang Line is a project fully funded by metropolitan transportation contribution charges, it is not subject to government budget input and thus not subject to a preliminary feasibility study, allowing for early promotion. However, it was later revealed that since LH, a public institution, is implementing the project, a 'public institution preliminary feasibility study' must be conducted for public institution projects exceeding 100 billion KRW, reversing the initial stance. The estimated project cost for the Goyang Line is about 1.5 trillion KRW.
The metropolitan area express railway (GTX) is also not included in the plan. Although there was local anticipation that a 'Changneung Station' might be newly established as the GTX-A line's Daegok to Yeonsinnae section is expected to pass through the center of Changneung New Town, the ministry stated that there are no plans to establish Changneung Station. Instead, the ministry plans to strengthen transportation connections between Daegok Station, where GTX-A stops, and Changneung New Town by linking with Seoul Subway Line 3 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line to compensate. The Goyang Line plan includes not only three stations within Changdong New Town but also new stations in Hyangdong, Hwajeong districts, Daegok Station, and Goyang City Hall Station.
A ministry official explained, "Since the Goyang Line is planned to operate directly connected with the Western Line, the goal is to complete it by 2028, when the Western Line is scheduled to open." Regarding residents' transportation inconveniences caused by the gap between transportation network completion and move-in timing, the ministry plans to actively deploy metropolitan express buses (M-buses) as a supplement. The official added, "Although operating companies may be reluctant due to operating deficits, since more than 2 trillion KRW in transportation-related investments are planned, this will also be included in metropolitan transportation network improvement measures, and ways to cover operating costs will be sought."
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