Seongbuk-gu Launches One-Month 'Gangbuk Transversal Line District-Wide Signature Campaign'
District Mayor Lee Seung-ro: "Will Convey Local Residents' Aspirations to Seoul City and Government"
Seongbuk-gu, Seoul held the "Gangbuk Transversal Line Re-promotion Urging All Residents' Resolution Rally" with about 2,000 residents at the Jeongneung 2-dong Traffic Square on the 26th of last month. Seungro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu (sixth from the left), holding a placard urging the swift re-promotion of the Gangbuk Transversal Line, along with residents, members of the National Assembly, university officials, and representatives of religious organizations. Provided by Seongbuk-gu.
The number of signatories for the ‘Gangbuk Transversal Line Rapid Re-promotion Nationwide Resident Signature Campaign’ surpassed 100,000 in just two weeks.
According to Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the 1st, it was tentatively counted that more than 100,000 people participated on the 31st of last month, well ahead of the original one-month goal. The district started the signature campaign on the 18th of last month with a target of 100,000 people, reflecting the local desire for the rapid re-promotion of the Gangbuk Transversal Line.
The Gangbuk Transversal Line is a light rail line connecting Cheongnyangni Station to Jeongneung, Gireum in Seongbuk-gu, Hongje in Seodaemun-gu, Digital Media City in Mapo-gu, and finally Mokdong Station in Yangcheon-gu. It was highly anticipated as a route that would effectively alleviate the inconvenience of citizens having to rely solely on roads for travel between the northeast and southwest of Seoul, along with promoting regional balanced development.
Additionally, Jeongneung Station in Seongbuk-gu plays a pivotal role in the Gangbuk Transversal Line, allowing transfers to four lines including the Ui-Sinseol Line, Line 4, Line 6, and the Dongbuk Line (scheduled to open in 2026), with ripple effects expected throughout the district. However, due to the nature of the route passing through mountainous sections, it requires relatively high costs while demand is predicted to be low, resulting in low economic feasibility. Consequently, it was rejected in the preliminary feasibility study review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in June.
In this regard, residents of Seongbuk-gu have continuously expressed their opinions on the rapid re-promotion of the Gangbuk Transversal Line through the ‘On-site District Office’ and other channels. Reflecting these residents’ aspirations, Seongbuk-gu formed the ‘Gangbuk Transversal Line Seongbuk-gu Rapid Re-promotion TF’ on the 15th of last month and launched the signature campaign.
The district is conducting the signature campaign both offline at places frequently used by many people such as Seongbuk District Office, community service centers, and entrances of apartment complexes, as well as online using QR codes. On the 26th of last month, the ‘Gangbuk Transversal Line Rapid Re-promotion Nationwide Resident Resolution Rally’ was held, with about 2,000 participants including residents, universities, and religious organizations, demonstrating the aspirations of the local community.
District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “The Gangbuk Transversal Line is an effective measure to solve the poor transportation issues in Seongbuk-gu, which lacks a direct railway network connecting the east and west of Seongbuk. It will be a practical driving force leading the Gangbuk area’s grand renovation and the Gangbuk Renaissance era, which Seoul City is ambitiously promoting. Bold financial investment in transportation-disadvantaged areas is the role of the public sector, and since the Gangbuk Transversal Line received the highest scores for regional balanced development effects, I hope Seoul City and the government will accept the voices of Seongbuk residents demanding its rapid restart with a strong sense of public responsibility.”
The district plans to carry out the nationwide resident signature campaign for one month as scheduled and then convey the aspirations of Seongbuk residents to Seoul City and the government through meetings with the Mayor of Seoul and others.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
