Songpa-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Seongdong-gu Sign Business Agreement at Gwangjin-gu Office on the 16th... Forming Working Group and Special Law Response for Undergrounding Jamsil to Hanyang University Station Ground Section
Songpa-gu, Gwangjin-gu, and Seongdong-gu, which are connected by the aboveground section of Subway Line 2, have joined hands to jointly respond to the undergrounding and have begun preparing feasible measures.
The undergrounding of aboveground railroads has been recognized as necessary for over a decade to address changes in the urban environment, resident inconveniences, and deterioration of city aesthetics. However, due to low economic feasibility compared to the enormous costs, only discussions on the issue were held until recently, when the government selected it as a national agenda item, pushed for the enactment of a special law, and Seoul City conducted related research projects, thereby intensifying discussions on its necessity.
Accordingly, Songpa-gu, Gwangjin-gu, and Seongdong-gu, through which major aboveground sections of Seoul’s subway pass, gathered at Gwangjin-gu Office at 2:30 PM on the 16th to sign a “Business Agreement for Joint Response to the Undergrounding of the Aboveground Section of Subway Line 2.” The signing ceremony was attended by Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, and Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu.
According to the agreement, the three autonomous districts will work to realize the undergrounding of the aboveground railroad by ▲forming a working-level meeting to discuss countermeasures for the special law (tentatively named the Special Act on Undergrounding of Railroad Facilities and Development of the Upper Area) ▲preparing detailed joint response plans for ongoing issues ▲discussing the establishment and operation of related funds ▲sharing research and project data.
These three districts encompass 12.59 km of aboveground sections of Urban Railroad Line 2, including the circular line and branch lines. The circular line runs from Jamsil Station to Hanyang University Station (9.02 km), and the branch line runs from Sindap Station to Seongsu Station (3.57 km).
This line has been fully operational for about 40 years, and not only are the railroad facilities themselves aging, but as major areas of Seoul have developed along Line 2, rapid changes in the urban environment have caused various problems. Representative issues include the disruption of residents’ living areas due to the aboveground sections and decreased land-use efficiency in central areas.
In particular, although Songpa-gu has the shortest aboveground section among the three districts, it has the highest number of users. Based on data from January to August this year, the average daily ridership at Jamsil and Jamsilnaru Stations was 121,920, which is higher than Gwangjin-gu’s section (121,680) and Seongdong-gu’s section (109,314).
Moreover, since the beginning of the 8th local government term, large-scale reconstruction projects involving about 15,000 households, including Jangmi Apartments in the Jamsil and Jamsilnaru Station areas (Jamsil Jugong 5, Jangmi 1, 2, 3, Miseong, Clover, Jinju), have been actively underway. This is expected to cause a sharp increase in users of the section within the next 5 to 10 years, along with worsening resident inconveniences such as noise and dust.
Mayor Seo Gang-seok said, “The undergrounding of the aboveground section of Line 2 is a project I have consistently emphasized as necessary since my candidacy in the local elections last June, for the quality of life of residents and regional development.” He added, “Although it is a future-oriented issue that must be resolved, it is not an easy task. Therefore, the formation of a cooperative body among the three districts today to reaffirm the will to realize this is a meaningful starting point.”
He continued, “We will closely cooperate to ensure the undergrounding of the aboveground railroad in the three districts is realized in line with Seoul City’s plan for urban space recreation along the urban rail axis.”
The district expects that since the section from Jamsil Station to Jamsilnaru Station is included in the Jamsil Metropolitan Center under the ‘2040 Seoul Urban Master Plan,’ the available space secured through undergrounding can be utilized to strengthen the functions of the central area and create leisure spaces linked to the Han River, thereby enhancing competitiveness as a three-dimensional complex development hub.
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