Naju City Holds Performance Wishing for Passage of Preliminary Feasibility Study
Jeollanam-do and Gwangju City Cooperation and United Aspirations of Local Residents
Yoon Byungtae, mayor of Naju, and about 200 city officials performed a ceremony wishing for the preliminary feasibility study of the "Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railroad" project to pass at the April regular assembly. Provided by Naju City
Naju City in Jeollanam-do has united the aspirations of local residents who hope for the successful passage of the preliminary feasibility study for the Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railway Project.
According to Naju City on the 2nd, a resolution rally wishing for the passage of the preliminary feasibility study was recently held in cooperation with local leaders from Bitgaram-dong, Nampyeong-eup, Sanpo-myeon, Geumcheon-myeon, and other towns and villages along the metropolitan railway route.
On the 28th of last month, a public hearing on the Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railway was held at Korea Institute of Energy Technology in partnership with the Korean Society for Railway, Jeollanam-do, and Gwangju City, where they discussed the necessity of the project, its current progress, and expected benefits.
On the 1st, Mayor Yoon Byungtae of Naju also joined about 200 public officials in a performance wishing for the successful passage of the preliminary feasibility study during the April regular meeting.
Mayor Yoon and the public officials shouted, "We strongly wish for the successful passage of the preliminary feasibility study for the Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railway Project," and then unfolded a banner together, expressing their unified hope for the project's approval.
The Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railway is the first national metropolitan railway project in the southwest region, aiming to connect the nation’s only joint innovation city as part of efforts for balanced national development and overcoming regional decline.
The project plans to construct a 26.26km double-track electric railway connecting Gwangju Sangmu Station, passing through Daechon, Naju Nampyeong, the innovation city, and KTX Naju Station by 2030, with a total investment of 1.5192 trillion KRW.
It was included in the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan in 2021 and was selected as a subject for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s preliminary feasibility study in May 2023. The project is now awaiting the review of the preliminary feasibility study scheduled for June this year.
The city is focusing all administrative efforts on securing approval for the study by establishing a cooperative system with Jeollanam-do and Gwangju City, and recently conducted a preference survey on the metropolitan railway project with about 200 Gwangju citizens in front of Gwangju Sangmu Station.
Mayor Yoon Byungtae of Naju stated, "The Gwangju-Naju Metropolitan Railway Project will not only improve the right to mobility for city and provincial residents, but also form a metropolitan economic network centered on the Gwangju-Jeonnam joint innovation city, laying the foundation for mutual growth and balanced development."
He added, "We will cooperate with Jeollanam-do and Gwangju City to ensure the preliminary feasibility study passes as soon as possible and to achieve an early start of construction."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
