Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding Now a Reality... Yeongdeungpo-gu Joins Voices with 6 Local Governments to Urge

December 11 Attendance at the 'Gyeongbu Line Underground Promotion Council Meeting' with 6 Local Governments
Signing of a Petition to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Urging Designation of the Gyeongbu Line Underground Pilot Project
Innovative Symbol Marking the Start of 'Yeongdeungpo Great Transformation' for Yeongdeungpo's Next 100 Years, Including Attraction of 4th Industrial Revolution Institutions and Creation of Cultural, Leisure, and Green Spaces

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it joined forces with six local governments to actively respond by attending the ‘Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding Promotion Council Meeting’ held at the Yongsan District Office large conference room on the 11th and signing a joint petition urging the designation of the ‘Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding Pilot Project.’

The ‘Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding Promotion Council Meeting’ held at 4 p.m. that day was attended by six local governments including Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yongsan-gu, Guro-gu, Geumcheon-gu, Dongjak-gu, Anyang-si, and Gunpo-si. The joint petition signed at this meeting is scheduled to be delivered to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

In January of this year, the ‘Special Act on Railway Undergrounding’ passed the National Assembly plenary session, putting the long-awaited project of undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line railway, a long-standing wish of the district residents, on the right track. Since its opening in 1905 during the Japanese colonial period, the Gyeongbu Line railway has driven national economic development as a hub for logistics and human exchange, but it has also been an obstacle to regional development by dividing Yeongdeungpo-gu north and south for 120 years.

Since taking office, District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon has actively pursued the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line, including visiting then Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong in 2022 to request the enactment of the special law. Subsequently, the district independently allocated a budget to conduct a ‘Comprehensive Development Plan Establishment Project for the Gyeongbu Line Area,’ preparing a blueprint for ‘One Yeongdeungpo.’ Based on the interim results of the project, the district proposed development plans for the Yeongdeungpo section to the Seoul Metropolitan Government twice in August and September. This was based on the judgment that it is the district’s role to proactively present what the residents want.

According to the district, the ‘Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding’ is not simply a project to move the railway underground, but the beginning of a ‘Great Transformation of Yeongdeungpo’ looking ahead 100 years, including a ‘change into a young city’ shedding the old and worn image of the old downtown by developing previously neglected land, and a ‘transformation into a future 4th industrial revolution hub with proximity between residence and workplace.’

Expected aerial view after the Gyeongbu Line is moved underground (draft)

The district plans to utilize the upper space and surrounding land where the railway tracks of the Yeongdeungpo-gu section (total 3.4 km) will be removed to create ▲startup spaces for young people and attract jobs related to the 4th industrial revolution ▲rest and cultural spaces befitting its status as the only legally designated cultural city in Seoul ▲large-scale green spaces. By attracting advanced knowledge industries and global companies, a sustainable industry and job infrastructure will be established, creating a compact city where jobs, housing, leisure, and culture can be enjoyed all at once, while also overcoming the regional characteristic of Yeongdeungpo’s lack of green spaces.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “Undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line railway is a project that is difficult to achieve results in the short term, but it is a necessary project for Yeongdeungpo’s new leap forward.” He added, “We will do our utmost to ensure that the Gyeongbu Line undergrounding is selected as the first pilot project and reflected in the comprehensive plan through continuous discussions centered on the Gyeongbu Line Undergrounding Promotion Council and cooperation between the government and local governments.”