Formation of Kyungwon Line Underground Promotion Council by 7 District Mayors
"Maximizing Development and Resident Benefits in Disconnected Areas"
Seven autonomous districts in Seoul through which the Gyeongwon Line (Yongsan Station to Dobongsan Station, including branches) passes have joined forces to realize the undergrounding of the railway. Their immediate goal is to have the Gyeongwon Line reflected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s (MOLIT) integrated railway undergrounding pilot project and comprehensive plan.
To have the MOLIT comprehensive plan reflect their efforts, the seven districts announced that on the 23rd of last month (Friday), they held a meeting of district heads at Dongdaemun District Office to form the ‘Gyeongwon Line Undergrounding Promotion Council.’ The districts promoting the undergrounding of the Gyeongwon Line are Yongsan, Seongdong, Dongdaemun, Seongbuk, Nowon, Dobong, and Jungnang.
The representatives of the seven districts elected Dongdaemun District Head Lee Pil-hyung as the inaugural chairman to lead the Gyeongwon Line Undergrounding Promotion Council for two years. During the subsequent meeting, District Head Lee and others continued discussions on the ‘Proposal for the Formation of the Gyeongwon Line Undergrounding Promotion Council’ to establish directions for project promotion through inter-district exchange and joint promotion plans for the undergrounding project.
For the railway undergrounding project to proceed, it is necessary to review the continuity of the entire above-ground railway line or at least a certain continuous section. To this end, the districts belonging to the Promotion Council held working-level meetings with teams and department heads responsible for the Gyeongwon Line undergrounding project in May and June.
The core of the railway undergrounding project is to relocate the railway, which has divided the urban area, underground and to innovatively recreate urban space by integrating development of the railway’s upper area and surrounding regions. Since the enactment of the ‘Railway Undergrounding Integrated Development Act’ in January this year, MOLIT has begun research for establishing a comprehensive plan, while Seoul City and each local government are also conducting development concept studies for the upper areas.
The district heads belonging to the Promotion Council stated, “Through this meeting of heads, cooperation among the districts will be strengthened, and momentum for the smooth promotion of the Gyeongwon Line undergrounding project will be gained.”
They added, “Going forward, the seven districts will conduct in-depth discussions on the project promotion directions and council operation plans shared at this meeting, while also seeking ways to maximize the development of areas previously divided by the railway and the convenience of residents. They will express their opinions to Seoul City to ensure the undergrounding of the Gyeongwon Line.”
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