Jeonnam Province Resolves to Include West Coast Railway in National Plan

National Assembly Forum Hosted by Local Lawmakers
Joint Statement Signed and Adopted with North Jeolla Province
Call for Inclusion in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan

Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Youngrok is adopting a joint petition for the inclusion of the West Coast Railroad in the 5th National Railroad Network with Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Kim Gwanyeong and heads of cities and counties from Jeonnam and Jeonbuk at a small conference room in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the afternoon of the 18th. Provided by Jeonnam Province

On the 18th, South Jeolla Province announced that a West Coast Railway National Assembly Policy Forum was held at the National Assembly, where mayors and governors from metropolitan and basic local governments, members of the National Assembly, and experts from two regions formed a consensus on promoting the project as a core transportation infrastructure for South and North Jeolla, and pledged to work toward its inclusion in the national plan.

The forum was co-hosted by National Assembly members Lee Gaeho, Seo Samseok, and Kim Woni from South Jeolla, and Shin Youngdae, Yoon Junbyung, and Lee Wontak from North Jeolla. Attendees included National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee Chair Maeng Seonggyu, as well as many other National Assembly members such as Park Jiwon, Shin Junghoon, and Moon Geumjoo.

During the first part of the event, Kim Yungrok, Governor of South Jeolla, Kim Kwanyeong, Governor of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province, and the mayors and county heads of six cities and counties signed and pledged a joint statement calling for the inclusion of the West Coast Railway in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

Governor Kim emphasized, "SOC (Social Overhead Capital) is the foundation of balanced national development. Balanced SOC investment is essential to fully realize the region's potential and foster it as a growth engine for Korea. Thanks to the combined efforts of local National Assembly members and others, the long-delayed South Coast Railway construction is now progressing smoothly toward completion. Now, we will make every effort to prioritize the West Coast Railway and ensure its inclusion in the national plan."

Governor Kim Kwanyeong and the mayors and county heads attending the event also strongly asserted, "For balanced regional development and to resolve transportation difficulties in Korea, the West Coast Railway must be included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan."

In the second part of the event, Professor Kim Jinhee of Yonsei University delivered a keynote presentation, and over 100 experts and residents attended to discuss the necessity and promotion strategies for the construction of the West Coast Railway.

The West Coast Railway project aims to build a railway network connecting Gunsan to Mokpo over a distance of 110 km, with a total investment of 4.7919 trillion won.

This is a key project for completing the West Coast Economic Belt, and its implementation requires inclusion in the National Railway Network Construction Plan. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is currently formulating the "5th National Railway Network Construction Plan (2026-2035)," which is scheduled to be finalized in the second half of 2025.

Through this policy forum, South Jeolla and North Jeolla provinces, local National Assembly members, and experts once again formed a consensus on the necessity of the West Coast Railway and reaffirmed their strong commitment to its inclusion in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.