Governor Kim Visits KDI: "Yongmun-Hongcheon Railroad Must Resolve 100-Year-Old Long-Standing Demand"

Gangwon Province Mobilizes All Efforts for Yongmun-Hongcheon Railroad Approval
Governor Kim Jintae and Mayor Shin Youngjae Personally Advocate for Project
Final Decision to Be Made This Month by Ministry of Economy and Finance Committee

Jintae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, attended the SOC subcommittee for the preliminary feasibility study of the Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railroad held at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) on the 16th, where he emphasized the necessity of promoting the project. Shin Youngjae, Mayor of Hongcheon County, was also present at the meeting.

Jintae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, attended the preliminary feasibility study SOC subcommittee for the Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railroad held at the Korea Development Institute on the 16th, emphasizing the necessity of promoting the project. Provided by Gangwon Province

The Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railroad is a major project connecting Yongmun Station in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, and Hongcheon County in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The total length is 32.7 kilometers, with a total project cost of 844.2 billion won. This is one of Gangwon Province’s most long-standing projects, aiming to improve accessibility to the Seoul metropolitan area, expand transportation welfare, and promote balanced regional growth.

If the project is realized, a metropolitan railroad network will be established in Hongcheon, which is currently the only area in the province without rail service. This will make it possible to reach Yongsan in just over an hour.

Governor Kim explained, "Hongcheon, which has the largest land area in the country, still does not have a train," adding, "This has been a long-standing project for over 100 years." He continued, "Gangwon’s SOC projects tend to have low preliminary evaluation scores, but demand surges explosively after opening." He cited the example of the Gangneung Line, where demand increased by 22 times, and mentioned that as of December 15, it was decided to add two more trains to the line.

He also emphasized, "Hongcheon is the closest non-metropolitan city to Seoul, with a resident population of 590,000. It has been designated as a special zone for returning to farming and rural living, a bio-specialized complex, and an opportunity development zone." He added, "If the Chuncheon-Wonju line opens in the future, the synergy effect will be even greater."

Furthermore, he pointed out, "Of the government’s total metropolitan railroad plan worth 69 trillion won, this provincial project accounts for only 1.2% and is the only route of its kind." He stressed, "The Yongmun-Hongcheon railroad is the optimal infrastructure to realize the Local Era Committee’s motto of 'using the Republic of Korea more broadly.'"

Meanwhile, the final decision on whether the Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railroad passes the preliminary feasibility study will be made at the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee meeting scheduled for later this month. For next year, 500 million won in national funding has already been allocated for the project.