Reasons Behind Ongoing Resident Conflicts Over the 'Geomdan Yeomwon' 5th Line Extension

Extension of Line 5 Needed to Alleviate Traffic Congestion in Incheon and Gimpo
Disagreement Over Route Plan: South or North of Geomdan?

Seoul Subway Line 5 extension project to Gimpo and Geomdan is gaining momentum, while conflicts among Geomdan residents over the route plan are coming to the surface.

The Line 5 Gimpo and Geomdan extension project is a new construction project for a 23.89 km section connecting Seoul Banghwa Station, Incheon Geomdan New Town, and Gimpo Hangang New Town, aimed at expanding metropolitan transportation in the western metropolitan area including Gimpo City.

So far, Gimpo City and Seo-gu, Incheon have shown differing opinions on the Line 5 extension route plan. Regarding the new section, Incheon proposed a route passing south of Geomdan in a 'U' shape, while Gimpo proposed a route passing north of Geomdan.

However, it has been revealed that there are also differing opinions on the route within Geomdan itself. Among residents, some believe that Incheon's plan should be reflected, while others think that Gimpo's plan should be accepted to reach an agreement quickly.

Expected Route Map of Line 5 Extension Project. / Provided by Incheon City

The Geomdan New Town General Association (Geomshin Chongyeon) holds the position that the route plan should reflect Incheon's proposal. Recently, Geomshin Chongyeon issued a statement calling for the resignation of Lee Seong-hae, chairman of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Wide-area Transportation Committee (Daegwangwi), which mediates between Gimpo City and Incheon, accusing him of bias. Geomshin Chongyeon pointed out, "The head of Daegwangwi, who should act as a mediator, has officially revealed a biased perspective," and added, "He is highly unsuitable for performing Daegwangwi's original role."

Earlier, in an interview with a media outlet, the chairman stated, "Incheon hopes that Line 5 will penetrate deeply into Incheon, but many experts say that such a mistake should not be made."

In response, Geomshin Chongyeon said, "We ask the Daegwangwi chairman to refrain from any involvement in route adjustments during the mediation process," and requested Incheon City to "make active efforts to reflect Incheon's route plan and produce the best possible outcome."

On the other hand, another Geomdan residents' group, the Geomdan New Town Union (Geomshin Yeonhap), is reportedly in favor of cooperating smoothly with Gimpo City to accelerate the project. According to a Yonhap News report, a Geomshin Yeonhap official said, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mentioned the prompt promotion of the Line 5 extension project as one of the fundamental measures to alleviate congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line," adding, "A route that detours southward would not align with the purpose of the project."

Meanwhile, Incheon City and Gimpo City agreed on the 21st in a memorandum of understanding to select a relocation site for the Seoul Banghwa-dong Construction Waste Disposal Site (Geonpejang), another contentious issue in the Line 5 extension project, outside the jurisdiction of Seo-gu, Incheon. Daegwangwi plans to soon operate a 'Route Decision Consultative Body' involving Incheon City, Gyeonggi Province, Seo-gu Incheon, Gimpo City, and transportation experts to discuss and finalize the detailed route plan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.