Gwangju and Daegu Chambers Urge Exemption from Preliminary Feasibility Study for Dalbit Railway

Exterior view of Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry have urged the government to confirm an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Dalbit Railway construction project.

On April 24, the Gwangju and Daegu chambers issued a joint statement, saying, "The government, the National Assembly, and relevant ministries must listen to the urgent voices of regions facing the crisis of local extinction," and added, "We call for the immediate confirmation of the preliminary feasibility study exemption and the implementation of subsequent procedures."

They explained, "The Dalbit Railway is a single-track electric railway with a total length of 198.8 kilometers, serving as a key transportation network connecting six cities and provinces and ten cities, counties, and districts in the southern region." They further stated, "This line, connecting Gwangju Songjeong and Seo Daegu within an hour's living zone, will become an important foundation for East-West harmony, revitalization of the regional economy, and achieving balanced national development."

They continued, "In July 2021, the Dalbit Railway was included as a new project in the 4th National Rail Network Construction Plan, and in January last year, the special law for the Dalbit Railway was passed in the National Assembly plenary session, providing the legal basis for the project." However, they pointed out, "In September of the same year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport submitted an application for exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Dalbit Railway to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but subsequent procedures have been delayed, citing a lack of urgency."

They also emphasized, "The Dalbit Railway is not merely about building a transportation network; it is a core infrastructure for ultra-wide-area cooperation to ease concentration in the capital region and to create a mega-economic zone in the south." They added, "Efforts to create a southern mega-economic zone centered on the Dalbit Railway must be expedited so that it becomes a successful example of balanced national development."