Joseon Dynasty's 'Maninso' Returns... "Construct the North-South 9-Axis Expressway from Gyeongbuk to Gangwon"

Young Scholars in Official Attire as Yeongyang County Governor and Chairman Reenact Petition System
Request to Reopen 'Yanggu~Yeongcheon' Section Halted for Half a Century

The ‘Maninso (萬人疏)’, a petition signed by over 10,000 Joseon Dynasty scholars opposing government policies, is being reenacted in a modern form.

However, what draws attention is that instead of scholars, local residents including heads of basic local governments have stepped into the public discourse. Why are local government heads from Gangwon and Gyeongbuk presenting this anachronistic old petition card and appealing to the ‘court’?

Ten cities and counties in the Gyeongbuk and Gangwon provinces have launched actions for the early construction of the ‘North-South 9 Axis Expressway.’ The local government heads participating in the council include Choi Ki-moon, Mayor of Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk; Yoon Kyung-hee, County Governor of Cheongsong; Oh Do-chang, County Governor of Yeongyang; Park Hyun-guk, County Governor of Bonghwa; and from Gangwon Province, Choi Myung-seo, County Governor of Yeongwol; Choi Seung-jun, County Governor of Jeongseon; Shim Jae-guk, County Governor of Pyeongchang; Shin Young-jae, County Governor of Hongcheon; Choi Sang-gi, County Governor of Inje; and Seo Heung-won, County Governor of Yanggu.

The North-South 9 Axis Expressway Promotion Council (Chairman Park Hyun-guk), which these cities and counties participate in, took inspiration from the Joseon Dynasty’s Maninso and collected over 13,800 signatures from more than 1,000 residents in each city and county since July. They submitted the petition along with a formal request to the government on the 22nd of last month.

The Yeongyang County Governor, the County Council Chairman, and other residents of Yeongyang County, dressed in Confucian scholar attire, are urging the early construction of the North-South 9-axis Expressway by conducting a petition activity modeled after the Maninso of the Joseon Dynasty. Provided by Yeongyang County

The petition primarily requests the inclusion of the project as a priority in the government’s ongoing 3rd Expressway Construction Plan (2026?2030) and the selection of the project for exemption from preliminary feasibility studies.

The North-South 9 Axis Expressway is a 406 km section stretching from Yanggu, Gangwon Province to Busan. Although this section is included in the National Comprehensive Plan and expressway construction plans, only the 96.5 km section between Yeongcheon and Busan was opened in 1969, and the remaining 309.5 km section has seen no progress for over half a century.

While other regions have established dense expressway networks like spider webs, securing a foundation for sustainable growth, the 10 cities and counties located along the North-South 9 Axis are losing vitality due to poor accessibility, facing various issues such as tourism, business attraction, and logistics.

The national arterial road network is being developed based on a grid system of 10 north-south and 10 east-west axes, gradually becoming a reality. However, the inland areas of Gangwon and Gyeongbuk have consistently been deprioritized in investment rankings, leaving the expressways empty. This is interpreted as the result of all past administrations emphasizing balanced development but consistently stingy in budget allocation.

Various social indicators show a similar pattern. According to ‘Regional Industry and Employment’ published by the Korea Employment Information Service in March, all 10 cities and counties are classified as at risk of extinction. Among them, six counties (Cheongsong, Yeongyang, Bonghwa, Yeongwol, Jeongseon, Pyeongchang) are categorized as high-risk extinction areas. The total population of these 10 cities and counties is less than 400,000, with about 40% of them being elderly aged 65 or older.

Residents of Yeongyang-gun are holding a rally to urge the construction of the North-South 9-axis expressway. Photo by Yeongyang-gun

The council argues that the construction of the North-South 9 Axis Expressway is the only solution to overcome regional imbalances and side effects.

Private sector movements are also becoming active. Residents are leading signature campaigns and putting up banners urging the early construction of the expressway throughout the region, actively participating in the push for early construction.

In Yeongyang County, the area with the smallest population inland, banners calling for the early construction of the North-South 9 Axis Expressway are hung at major crossroads, and Confucian scholars are submitting petitions at the Seokjeon Daeje ceremony hosted by Yeongyang Hyanggyo. Additionally, efforts are being made to convey the urgent voices from the field through various means, such as holding a resolution rally at Yeongyang County’s largest event, the Yeongyang County Sports Festival.

Oh Do-chang, County Governor of Yeongyang, emphasized, “Starting with the submission of the petition, we will carry out the ‘North-South 9 Axis Expressway Early Construction Prayer Challenge’ movement together with residents and plan to raise national interest by linking with terrestrial broadcasting and YouTube to inform the public of the road construction’s validity.”

In Gangwon Province, a preliminary feasibility study for the Yeongwol?Yanggu section is underway under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and in Gyeongbuk, a study for the Gyeongbuk section is being conducted by the province and cities/counties, drawing attention to whether the government will take substantive action in the future.

North-South 9-Axis Expressway Route Plan. Provided by Yeongyang County