"KTX Sejong Station New Establishment Economic Feasibility 'Sufficient'... Objective Data Secured"

An analysis has shown that there is sufficient economic feasibility to establish a new KTX Sejong Station. With changed conditions and the acquisition of objective data, efforts to establish the station are expected to gain momentum.

Sejong City announced on the 14th that it received results indicating sufficient economic feasibility for the new KTX Sejong Station in the feasibility study service.

The economic feasibility analysis result for the new KTX Sejong Station was ‘B/C=1.06’, which is 0.2 higher than the result of 0.86 from the 2020 study. This is analyzed as an effect of increased future traffic volume due to population growth in the Sejong area and changes in conditions following the relocation of public institutions, improving the national transportation database (National Transportation Demand Forecast).

In particular, the recent study did not reflect the impact of the National Assembly Sejong Office Building, which has no implementation plan yet, and the installation of the President’s second office. Sejong City explained that when these are reflected, economic feasibility is expected to improve further (due to increased transportation demand).

Sejong City also received results from the study indicating that the area around Balsan-ri, Geumnam-myeon, is the most suitable location for the KTX Sejong Station building (驛舍).

Balsan-ri, Geumnam-myeon, is a midpoint located 22 km from both Osong Station and Gongju Station, and the core idea is that it is appropriate to construct the station building on the main line above a bridge.

This is the result of a comprehensive review of geographical and technical factors such as connectivity with BRT, the Daejeon~Sejong~Chungbuk metropolitan railroad, urban accessibility, and distance from nearby stations.

Previously, Sejong City had promoted the establishment of the KTX Sejong Station and the stopping of KTX trains at Jochiwon Station as key pledges of its 4th term administration. However, when reviewing the option of having KTX stop at Jochiwon Station, the B/C was analyzed to be below 0.5, indicating low economic feasibility. Moreover, once the ‘Pyeongtaek High-Speed Connection Line Project’ is completed in 2025, KTX trains will not even pass through Jochiwon Station.

Accordingly, considering the insufficient economic feasibility and the future situation where trains will not pass through, Sejong City plans to focus administrative efforts on establishing the KTX Sejong Station rather than having KTX stop at Jochiwon Station, adopting a strategy of ‘selection and concentration.’

Sejong City places primary significance on having secured objective data through the study that shows sufficient economic feasibility for the plan to establish the KTX Sejong Station.

In addition, based on the signature campaign conducted alongside the study (from March to November), with 12,709 online signatures and 65,607 offline signatures totaling 78,316 Sejong citizens participating, the city plans to continue efforts to persuade the government.

A Sejong City official said, “Through the study, we secured objective data showing sufficient economic feasibility for the new KTX Sejong Station, and the citizens’ strong desire for the station was also confirmed through the signature campaign. Sejong City will deliver these results to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport within the year and accelerate follow-up procedures by forming consensus through consultations with the government and neighboring regions.”