Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si GTX-D Line Joint Promotion Committee 'GTX-D Gangdong~Hanam Connection Urged' Protest Visit to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

GTX-D 'Gimpo~Bucheon' Route Shortening Statement and Protest Held... Urging Inclusion of Route Passing Gangnam~Jamsil Area via Gangdong-gu

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) announced on the 12th that the Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si GTX-D Line Joint Promotion Committee visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to express their position and protest against the draft of the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan, which includes the GTX-D (Metropolitan Area Express Railway) line only in the section from Gimpo Janggi to Bucheon Sports Complex.

On the 12th, about 20 members of the 'Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si GTX-D Line Joint Promotion Committee,' composed of Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, Kim Sang-ho, Mayor of Hanam, and resident representatives, held a protest at the entrance of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building in Sejong City against the reduction of the GTX-D line section from Gimpo to Bucheon, and announced the 'Resolution to Urge the Inclusion of the GTX-D Line Passing through Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si.'

The promotion committee stated, "The government has been enforcing unilateral housing supply policies, such as deciding to build public housing without prior consent from the residents of Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si, forcing sacrifices on the residents, but the actual consequences have been explosive population growth and traffic congestion."

They added, "We had expected the GTX-D line to be an alternative to resolve the population increase due to large-scale reconstruction, land development, and business district formation, as well as the worsening metropolitan traffic problems. However, upon hearing the news that the line would be drastically reduced to the section from Gimpo Janggi to Bucheon Sports Complex, we could not hide our disappointment. We will continue to make every effort to have the GTX-D line pass through Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si."

So far, Gangdong-gu conducted a resident signature campaign from March to August 2020 to promote the GTX-D line passing through Gangdong-gu, gathering participation from over 100,000 residents. They also independently carried out the 'Gangdong-gu GTX-D Introduction Research Project' and have been proposing the GTX-D line passing through Gangdong-gu to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's announcement of the reduction significantly diminishes the balanced development of the metropolitan area and the compact effect of urban space that the GTX project aims for, while removing the link that allows Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon to develop together. We strongly urge the route to be readjusted to reflect the national will so that the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX-D) does not lose its significance and to be included in the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan."