Completion of Gangjin Station in 2023 Expected to Be a Turning Point for the Tourism Industry
[Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] On the 26th, Gangjin County Governor Kang Jin-won visited the construction site of Gangjin Station to conduct a safety inspection to ensure that the construction is proceeding smoothly despite the summer heatwave and monsoon season.
Gangjin Station is part of the 82.5km section from Boseong in Jeonnam to Jangheung, Gangjin, Yeongam, and Mokpo, with the Jangheung to Gangjin section covering 26.7km. Of this, 12.8km within Gangjin has been completed, achieving a progress rate of 75.4%, and in June, the access road construction to Gangjin Station was completed.
The entire section is a project to establish an east-west trunk railway network along the southern coast according to the 4th National Comprehensive Plan, with a total project cost of 1.6033 trillion KRW. The project started in 2015 and is scheduled to enter test operation by the end of next year.
According to the 2018 re-investigation report on the preliminary feasibility of the Gyeongjeon Line (Boseong~Inseong-ri) produced by the Korea Rail Network Authority, it is predicted that by 2030, a total of 17 trains (11 passenger, 6 freight) will operate at Gangjin Station in both directions.
The county plans to thoroughly review the development promotion direction, including feasible project scale, implementation methods, and land use plans, in advance to prevent unregulated development around the station area and to induce systematic development linked with Gangjin-eup, anticipating increased land use demand around the Gangjin Station site due to railway construction.
Once Gangjin Station opens, accessibility, which has been pointed out as a difficulty for Gangjin tourism, will be greatly improved. This is expected to provide strong momentum for policies aimed at preventing population decline through a large influx of tourists, proposed as a solution for the 8th term of the local government’s “New Gangjin Creation” focused on increasing jobs and population.
In particular, the connection of the previously unconnected sections of the Gyeongjeon Line and Honam Line will contribute to establishing a southern coastal tourism belt, significantly enhancing the status of Gangjin as a tourist city.
Gangjin Station was originally scheduled to open in 2023, but the opening was delayed to 2024 due to changes in the project plan related to the railway electrification project.
To fully reflect the regional characteristics of the railway station in its design, the exterior materials were changed from ceramic to celadon tiles, and the front curved section was adjusted to resemble a laid celadon shape, symbolizing “Gangjin, the city of ceramics,” differing from the initial detailed design.
The Gangjin Station section was initially designed as a conventional railway, but the electrification project midway extended the construction period by about one year.
Once Gangjin Station opens, it is expected to become a new turning point for Gangjin’s tourism industry and will establish itself as the southernmost railway station on the Korean Peninsula, surpassing Yeosu Expo Station.
In particular, the Gangjin Bay Ecological Park, located 700 meters from Gangjin Station, will feature an ecological experience center and a bicycle center, becoming a new gateway for Gangjin tourism.
Governor Kang said at the site, “When Gangjin Station is completed in 2023, Gangjin’s tourism will experience a clear turning point unlike before,” adding, “This will be a full-fledged signal marking the opening of the New Gangjin era.”
Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su gabrielw@asiae.co.kr
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