Hamyang County and Six Local Governments Jointly Petition for Inclusion of Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction in National Railway Network Plan

Seven Local Government Heads, Including Hamyang County, Meet with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Presenting the Necessity and Expected Benefits of the Railway Project

On November 25, the heads of seven local governments-including Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province, Okcheon, Muju, Jangsu, Sancheong, Hadong, and Namhae-met with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoonduk at the National Land Development Exhibition Hall in Jeongdong, Seoul. During the meeting, they requested that the "Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction Project" be included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan (2026-2035), according to an announcement on the 27th.

This meeting was organized as a key opportunity to advocate for the inclusion of the Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction Project in the National Railway Network Construction Plan. The "Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction Project Council," comprising the seven local governments, delivered a joint petition to the minister outlining the necessity and expected benefits of the project.

Group photo of joint petition for incorporating the construction of the Hamyang County Daejeon-Namhae Line railway into the National Railway Network Construction Plan

In the petition, the council emphasized the national importance of the project, including: △ promoting balanced regional development by resolving railway blind spots; ▲ establishing a wide-area tourism belt connecting Deogyusan, Jirisan, and the Namhae coast; ▲ creating jobs and revitalizing the local economy based on railway operations; and ▲ contributing to carbon neutrality by expanding eco-friendly transportation infrastructure.

The "Daejeon~Namhae Line" is a new single-track electrified railway project connecting Daejeon, Okcheon, Muju, Jangsu, Hamyang, Sancheong, Hadong, and Namhae, with a total length of approximately 203 kilometers and a total project cost of about 5.4655 trillion won.

The Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction Project Council stated, "The inland region connecting Deogyusan, Jirisan, and the Namhae coast has long been excluded from railway infrastructure, restricting interregional travel and hindering the expansion of industrial and living foundations. Once the Daejeon~Namhae Line is established, not only will travel time between Seoul and Namhae be reduced from the current five hours to three hours, but residential, economic, and cultural zones will also be seamlessly connected, laying the groundwork for mutual prosperity. Therefore, it is essential that this project be included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan."

In response, Minister Kim Yoonduk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "I fully understand the region's demands and the necessity of the project, and I will actively review it during the evaluation process for the National Railway Network Construction Plan."

Hamyang County has been strengthening its joint response system by cooperating with South Gyeongsang Province and the relevant local governments, such as conducting a preliminary feasibility study on the inclusion of the Daejeon~Namhae Line route.

In particular, in August, the heads of the seven local governments gathered in Hamyang County to sign a business agreement and adopt a joint petition, continuing collaborative efforts to ensure the Daejeon~Namhae Line Railway Construction Project is reflected in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.

An official from Hamyang County said, "Once the Daejeon~Namhae Line railway construction is completed, it will improve mobility for local residents and boost the regional economy and tourism industry. We will do our utmost to ensure that this project is included in the National Railway Network Construction Plan."

Meanwhile, at the meeting, Hamyang County also actively requested the elevation of Local Road No. 1023 (Hamyang~Hadong) to a national support road to help build tourism infrastructure connecting the Jirisan area and the Namhae coast.