Goh Woo-hyun, Chairman of Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, Urges Construction of Unconnected Section of Jungbu Line Railroad

Goh Woo-hyun, Chairman of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council
Photo by Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Provided

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju-cheol In] Go Woo-hyun, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, attended the 7th Extraordinary Meeting of the Korea Council of Heads of City and Provincial Councils and urged the construction of a connecting railway for the unconnected section of the Jungbu Line (Suseo?Geoje) between Mungyeong and Gimcheon.

The extraordinary meeting unanimously adopted the proposal submitted by the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, titled "Resolution to Pass the Preliminary Feasibility Study and Expedite the Construction of the Connecting Railway for the Unconnected Section of the Jungbu Line," supported by chairpersons of 17 city and provincial councils.

The Jungbu Line is a route spanning a total of 377.9 km connecting Suseo in Seoul to Geoje in Gyeongnam. Along with the Gyeongbu Line and the Jungang Line, it serves as the third railway line traversing the Korean Peninsula. Currently, the 22.8 km section between Gwangju and Icheon in Gyeonggi Province has been completed, opened, and is in operation.

The Jungbu Inland Railway, covering the 93.2 km section between Icheon and Mungyeong, is scheduled for priority opening next month.

Additionally, the construction of the 172.4 km Southern Inland Railway between Gimcheon and Geoje was selected as a national balanced development project in January 2019, with the basic plan underway and an opening scheduled for December 2027.

However, the 70.7 km section between Mungyeong, Sangju, and Gimcheon in Gyeongbuk Province, with a total project cost of 1.1437 trillion KRW, remains an unconnected segment linking the Jungbu Inland Railway and the Southern Inland Railway. Although a preliminary feasibility study began in June 2019, no final conclusion has been reached to date.

Chairman Go Woo-hyun stated, "The Mungyeong?Sangju?Gimcheon section is adjacent to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport to be constructed in the future, and it is expected that air-related transportation demand will increase in this area." He added, "We urge the prompt passage of the preliminary feasibility study and the government's swift and bold decision for early groundbreaking and construction."