[Interview] Kim Mikyung, Eunpyeong District Mayor: "Inclusion of 3 Rail Networks in the 4th National Railroad Network Plan to Improve Eunpyeong Transportation Conditions"

Eunpyeong-gu's Three Rail Networks: Shinbundang Line Northwest Extension, Goyang-Eunpyeong Line, Gyeongbu High-Speed Line Realized... Mayor Oh Se-hoon's Inauguration Raises Expectations for 'Eunpyeong Saegil' Relaunch... Proving a Livable City

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Eunpyeong-gu has suffered from chronic traffic congestion for the past 10 years, and we welcome the inclusion of three railway lines in the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan together with the residents.”

Kim Mi-kyung, the mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated this in an interview with this publication regarding the announcement at the public hearing for the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan held on the 22nd of last month by the Korea Transport Institute. The announcement included the incorporation of the northwest extension of the Shinbundang Line, the establishment of the Goyang Eunpyeong Line, and the new Gyeongbu High-Speed Line section ‘Susaek~Geumcheon-gu Office’ into the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan as measures to alleviate traffic congestion in the metropolitan area.

The traffic conditions in the Eunpyeong area are very poor. With the rapid increase of new town apartment complexes (114,898 households) in Eunpyeong New Town and Goyang City, traffic demand has surged significantly, while there are no comprehensive metropolitan traffic measures.

Traffic measures in Eunpyeong have been a long-standing wish of local residents that needed to be addressed quickly. Accordingly, Eunpyeong residents have delivered a petition with 300,000 signatures urging the extension of the Shinbundang Line, as well as petitions for the establishment of the Goyang Eunpyeong Line and the installation of Sinsagogae Station to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, and LH. Eunpyeong-gu has also held multiple consultations with related agencies to address traffic issues. In particular, on January 20th, Mayor Kim Mi-kyung met with Byun Chang-heum, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to request the government to promptly address Eunpyeong-gu’s traffic issues, including the extension of the Shinbundang Line.

Mayor Kim’s efforts to resolve traffic congestion have been continuous. On June 11th last year, the six basic local government heads (Eunpyeong-gu, Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, Yongsan-gu, Gangnam-gu, and Goyang City) whose areas the northwest extension of the Shinbundang Line will pass through jointly delivered a statement to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. On June 12th of the same year, through a meeting with Minister Kim Hyun-mi of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, they requested the prompt promotion of the Shinbundang Line northwest extension project, the establishment of Sinsagogae Station (between Saejeol Station and Hyangdong Station) on the Goyang Eunpyeong Line, and the designation of Susaek Station as the Seoul Northern Station departure point for the Eurasia Railway.

These efforts by Mayor Kim Mi-kyung have finally begun to bear fruit. Three railway lines in Eunpyeong have been included in the future plans of the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan. The National Railway Network Construction Plan is a mid- to long-term statutory plan that outlines the basic direction and route expansion plans for railway network construction over the next 10 years, from 2021 to 2030.

Alongside this, the ‘Eunpyeong Saegil’ project is also expected to gain momentum following the inauguration of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. For Tongil-ro, which has a daily traffic volume of about 68,000 vehicles and a commuting speed of only 15 km/h during rush hours, residents of Eunpyeong, tired of the slow traffic, have a strong desire for a second road. ‘Eunpyeong Saegil’ is a 5.8 km (four lanes, two-way) road connecting Bulgwang-dong in Eunpyeong-gu and Jahamun-ro in Jongno-gu. Its purpose is to reduce traffic congestion on Tongil-ro, a major route from Eunpyeong-gu to downtown Seoul. Mayor Kim said, “‘Eunpyeong Saegil’ is also considered a key to solving Eunpyeong’s traffic congestion, and we have continuously demanded its construction. Mayor Oh Se-hoon declared the promotion of ‘Eunpyeong Saegil’ as a major transportation pledge for the northwest area during his candidacy, so residents’ expectations are quite high.”

Even after the announcement of the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan, Eunpyeong-gu continues to carry out administrative efforts to build the transportation network. Susaek Station is emerging as a transportation hub, being included in the Gyeongbu High-Speed Line. Accordingly, Eunpyeong-gu is conducting a feasibility study to designate Seoul Northern Station (Susaek.DMC Station) as the departure station for the Eurasia Railway in preparation for north-south and continental railway connections.

Seoul Northern Station has large-scale development-available land and is a strategic location directly connected to Incheon International Airport, the gateway to South Korea, with excellent accessibility in all directions, meeting the conditions to serve as a symbolic international railway station in Korea. In the feasibility study, Seoul Northern Station received the highest scores among nine criteria, including convenience of international route connections, accessibility to the international airport, and track capacity, and was evaluated as the optimal site for the departure station of the Eurasia Railway. Mayor Kim Mi-kyung stated, “Together with the 480,000 residents of Eunpyeong-gu, we will do our best to ensure that the three urban railway lines and Eunpyeong Saegil are realized as soon as possible.”