Gwangju, Daegu, and Lawmakers Urge Exemption from Preliminary Feasibility Study for Dalbit Railroad

Joint Statement at National Assembly Communication Office: "Implementation of Administrative Procedures"
"Pan-Governmental Support for Creation of Major Southern Economic Bloc"

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong, Daegu Acting Mayor Kim Jeonggi, and members of the National Assembly from the Gwangju and Daegu regions held a joint press conference on the afternoon of the 23rd at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, urging the confirmation of the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Dalbit Railroad. From left: Assemblymen Kim Sanghun, Kwon Youngjin, Kang Daesik, Daegu Acting Mayor Kim Jeonggi, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong, Assemblymen Yang Bunan, Ahn Dogeol, Jung Junho, and Min Hyeongbae. Provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju and Daegu have joined hands to build the Dalbit Railroad, which will usher in a "new era of integration and balance" for 18 million residents of Yeongho-nam.

On the 23rd, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong, Daegu Acting Mayor Kim Jeonggi, and members of the National Assembly from the Gwangju and Daegu regions held a joint press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, urging the confirmation of the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Dalbit Railroad.

The statement was joined by Mayor Kang Gijeong, Daegu Acting Mayor Kim Jeonggi, and Assembly members Kang Daesik, Kwon Youngjin, Kim Kiwoong, Kim Sanghun, Kim Seungsoo, Min Hyeongbae, Park Kyuntaek, Ahn Dogeol, Yang Bunan, Woo Jaejun, Yoo Youngha, Yoon Jaeok, Lee Inseon, Jeon Jinsook, Jung Junho, Jung Jinwook, Cho Incheol, Joo Hoeyoung, Choi Eunseok, and Chu Kyungho.

In the statement, they called for the confirmation of the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study as stipulated in the Dalbit Railroad Special Act, the prompt implementation of follow-up administrative procedures, and a commitment to pan-governmental support and cooperation for the creation of a major southern economic bloc.

The "Special Act for the Construction of the Dalbit Railroad" (hereinafter referred to as the Dalbit Railroad Special Act) was enacted last year through the proposal of 261 bipartisan lawmakers, the largest number in the history of the National Assembly. In September of last year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport submitted a request for exemption from the preliminary feasibility study to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but the follow-up procedures have not progressed into the new year.

The cities of Gwangju and Daegu stated, "The Dalbit Railroad Special Act passed the National Assembly based on a clear consensus that constructing a railroad connecting Yeongho-nam is a crucial step toward opening a 'new era of integration and balance,' overcoming the accumulated disconnection and imbalance caused by the north-south axis-centered development of the national territory."

The two cities pointed out, "The Dalbit Railroad, which passes through six metropolitan cities and provinces and ten cities, counties, and districts in Yeongho-nam, will create opportunities for mutual exchange and development, and will lead to the formation of a 'major southern economic bloc' for balanced national development. However, this important 'Dalbit Railroad' has been stalled on the desk of the Ministry of Economy and Finance for more than a year without even getting started."

They went on to emphasize, "The claim that the urgency is not great is a serious misjudgment. The concentration in the capital region and the extinction of local areas are national diseases, and balanced national development is the most urgent task for a sustainable Republic of Korea."

The "Dalbit Railroad" is an east-west railway connecting Gwangju and Daegu, with a total length of 198.8 kilometers. It starts at Gwangju Songjeong Station and passes through Gwangju Station, Jeonnam (Damyang), Jeonbuk (Sunchang, Namwon, Jangsu), Gyeongnam (Hamyang, Geochang, Hapcheon), Gyeongbuk (Goryeong), and ends at Seodaegu Station. The railway passes through six metropolitan cities and provinces and ten cities, counties, and districts. The number of related residents in Yeongho-nam alone reaches 18 million.

Mayor Kang Gijeong of Gwangju and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo passed the Dalbit Railroad Special Act in 2024 through bipartisan cooperation, with the largest number of lawmakers in the history of the National Assembly proposing the bill.

The "Dalbit Railroad Special Act" stipulates the necessary matters for the prompt construction of the railroad connecting Gwangju and Daegu. It also provides special provisions to exempt the project from the preliminary feasibility study for the swift and smooth implementation of the construction, and includes provisions for designating development zones and promoting development projects for systematic development around the stations.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 21st presidential election, Mayor Kang Gijeong has been operating the "Weekly Yeouido Office," working to secure the inclusion of Gwangju's key projects in the presidential campaign pledges of five parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. He is also accelerating efforts to secure additional budgets and to obtain the exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the construction of the Dalbit Railroad, as well as to resolve other regional issues.