Lee Jae-myung on the 127th Railway Day: "Let's Accelerate the Eurasia Unified Railway"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, proposed accelerating the era of a unification railway that traverses the Eurasian continent.

On the 28th, marking the 127th anniversary of Railway Day, Governor Lee stated on Facebook, "It was newly designated in 2018 to commemorate June 28, 1894, the day when Uijeongbu Public Office Railway Bureau, Korea's first railway agency, was established," adding, "Previously, Railway Day was celebrated on September 18, the opening date of the Gyeongin Line built by Japan, and just by looking at the story behind Railway Day, one can feel our turbulent modern history."

He continued, "As the South and North Korean leaders declared at Panmunjom in April 2018 to 'reconnect the severed lifeblood of the nation and advance the future of joint prosperity and independent unification,' the railways, once symbols of colonization, exploitation, war, and division, are now gaining attention as a catalyst for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and as a future transportation means to address the climate crisis."

In particular, he emphasized, "The Republic of Korea is the world's fifth country to operate high-speed rail and possesses technology to manufacture high-speed rail vehicles. If we maximize the geopolitical advantages of our railways as the gateway to Eurasia, the railway industry is expected to become a new growth engine for the Korean Peninsula, leading a logistics revolution."

However, Governor Lee expressed regret, saying, "It is unfortunate that the South-North railway connection project has been at a standstill for several years," and hoped, "On Railway Day, I wish for our railways to open the era of unification railways that traverse the Eurasian continent as soon as possible."

He also urged, "With 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector, transitioning to an eco-friendly transportation system is not a choice but a necessity. Guaranteeing universal mobility rights without discrimination due to region or economic reasons is the essence of railway publicness. Let us boldly eliminate unnecessary overlapping investments and inefficiencies and work together so that all citizens can use safe and convenient high-speed rail services nationwide without any marginalized areas."