Geumcheon-gu Office Station, Prompt Promotion of Additional Elevator Installation and Feasibility Study for Complex Development
Geumcheon-gu Office, Administrative Support Including Urban Management Plan Establishment and Coordination with Related Agencies
Korea Railroad Corporation, Rapid Promotion of Geumcheon-gu Office Station Development
Korea National Railway Corporation, Installation of 2 Elevators at Geumcheon Overpass by December Next Year
Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) announced on the 24th that at the coordination meeting of related organizations held at Geumcheon-gu Office, hosted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, an agreement was reached on the additional installation of elevators at Geumcheon-gu Office Station and the complex development or improvement of the station.
The meeting was attended by Geumcheon-gu Mayor Yu Seong-hoon, Kim Tae-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, officials from the Korea National Railway Corporation, Korea Railroad Corporation, and the head of the Geumcheon Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities.
Geumcheon-gu Office Station is a 43-year-old aging station, the only single entrance in Seoul, with insufficient pedestrian convenience facilities, causing ongoing inconvenience to railway users. In particular, the west side of the station lacks elevators, making it practically impossible for mobility-impaired individuals to use the railway despite the station being nearby.
In response, in January of this year, 3,377 Geumcheon residents filed complaints with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission requesting improvements to the aging station. Consequently, a joint on-site inspection and coordination meeting among related organizations were promoted to align opinions.
As part of the coordination, the Korea National Railway Corporation decided to install two elevators at Geumcheon Overpass as a short-term measure by December next year.
Additionally, as a fundamental measure, the Korea Railroad Corporation, the owner of the station site, will promptly proceed with a feasibility study and public solicitation of private business operators for the complex development of Geumcheon-gu Office Station. If the complex development project becomes difficult due to business feasibility issues, the station improvement project will prioritize Geumcheon-gu Office Station in the future.
Since 2018, a large-scale apartment complex (Geumcheon Lotte Castle Gold Park with 4,231 households) has been established around the station. Furthermore, plans for a general hospital and an apartment complex (990 households) have been confirmed, and the Seo Seoul Museum of Art is under construction, reflecting changing local conditions and increasing demands for complex development of the station.
The district and Korea Railroad Corporation have made various efforts for the complex development, including joint research since 2010 and signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to realize development, but due to changes in development conditions and differences in positions among institutions, the project has not been realized to date, prompting the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission to mediate.
Mayor Yu Seong-hoon said, “With this coordination, not only mobility-impaired individuals but all residents using Geumcheon-gu Office Station will be able to use the subway more conveniently,” adding, “We will do our best in administrative efforts such as establishing urban management plans and coordinating with Seoul City to expedite the complex development of the station.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
