'Resident Demand' for Elevator Installation at Gwangju Yangdong Market Station Gains Momentum

Securing 100 Million Won for Design Service Fees

The installation of an elevator at Yangdong Market Station, the only Gwangju subway station without an external elevator and a long-awaited project for residents, is set to begin in earnest.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Council on the 22nd, "design service fees of 100 million won" have been secured for the installation of an elevator at Yangdong Market Station.

When Line 1 opened in 2002, the installation was postponed because the sidewalk next to the entrance of Yangdong Market Station was too narrow to secure the space needed for the elevator.

Since then, the necessity of an elevator has been consistently raised, and human rights organizations, Gwangju Urban Railway, and political circles have worked to secure the budget for installing an elevator at Yangdong Market Station.

Last year, the Korea Railroad Corporation proceeded with the installation project, judging that sufficient space would be created between exits 3 and 4 once the existing buildings were demolished as part of the redevelopment project in Yangdong 3 District, Seo-gu.

However, since the demolition in the housing redevelopment area, the installation site, has not been carried out, the start of construction was tentatively postponed to 2024.

The securing of the service fee this time signifies the full-scale progress of the elevator installation, which is evaluated to guarantee the mobility rights of the disabled and other mobility-impaired individuals.

Kang Su-hoon, a member of the Gwangju City Council, said, "Mobility issues are not only problems for the disabled but also urgent life issues that can affect the elderly, socially vulnerable groups, and ultimately all members of our society," adding, "I will thoroughly inspect until the installation of the elevator at Yangdong Market Station, a long-standing task for the past 20 years, is completed."