76.6% of Gwangju Citizens Support the Construction of the Dalbit Inland Railroad

Gwangju City Hall

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] According to the results of the "Moonlight Alliance Gwangju-Daegu Citizen Awareness Survey" conducted by the Gwangju Metropolitan City through the Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute, three out of four Gwangju citizens have a positive view of the "Gwangju-Daegu Moonlight Inland Railroad Construction Project," which is being promoted as a super-regional cooperation project.

This survey was conducted by telephone with 800 Gwangju citizens using a structured questionnaire, and group interviews were held with participants experienced in Moonlight Alliance cooperation projects and related experts from April to November last year.

Daegu Metropolitan City also conducted a survey targeting Daegu citizens using the same method, and the results will be announced separately by Daegu City.

According to Gwangju City on the 28th, regarding the Gwangju-Daegu Moonlight Inland Railroad Construction Project, 76.6% of Gwangju citizens responded positively, 15.9% neutrally, and 7.5% negatively, with the necessity of construction rated highly at an average of 4.12 out of 5 points.

The areas where exchanges and cooperation with Daegu should be expanded and strengthened were answered in order as expansion of social overhead capital (SOC) such as roads and railroads (33.3%), promotion of economic and industrial cooperation projects (31.4%), and cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges (18.1%).

Awareness of Moonlight Alliance exchange cooperation projects was ranked as follows: early expansion of the Gwangju-Daegu 88 Expressway (64.5%), mutual attendance at the Gwangju 5·18 Democratization Movement and Daegu 2·28 Democratization Movement commemorative ceremonies (48.3%), Gwangju-Daegu cultural and artistic exchanges (42.9%), Gwangju-Daegu Moonlight Inland Railroad construction (36.9%), creation of the Gwangju-Daegu Citizen Memorial Forest symbolizing Yeonghonam harmony (21.0%), and fostering of green and renewable energy sectors (19.4%).

The channels through which the Moonlight Alliance is recognized were surveyed as news and articles on TV, newspapers, and radio (78.1%), portal site searches, general blogs, and online posts (18.1%), official local government promotions (12.0%), acquaintances around (8.9%), and promotional materials such as outdoor advertisements, leaflets, and brochures (7.0%).

To vitalize Moonlight Alliance exchange cooperation projects, the main areas considered necessary were increasing citizen participation (53.9%) and active promotion (47.3%), followed by mutual tourism programs (36.9%), programs for students (28.5%), system, law, and organizational improvements (16.0%), and joint seminar hosting (9.4%).

The image of Daegu among Gwangju citizens was positive at 40.4%, nearly four times higher than the negative evaluation of 10.8%. The images that come to mind when thinking of Daegu were hot weather (23.5%), apples (11.0%), conservatism (6.4%), Palgongsan Mountain (4.9%), and textile and fashion complexes (3.0%).

Gwangju City plans to discuss the results of this awareness survey as content for discovering cooperation tasks at future Moonlight Alliance private cooperation committee meetings and to expand them as Moonlight Alliance exchange cooperation projects.