Governor Kim Dongyeon: "A New Beginning Toward Complete Toll Elimination"
Proactive Use of Provincial Budget to Provide Immediate Benefits
First Step Toward Ending 18 Years of Inequality
Starting January 1, Gyeonggi Province will reduce the Ilsan Bridge toll by 50%, lowering the fee for passenger cars from 1,200 won to 600 won.
This is a proactive measure that reflects Gyeonggi Province's strong commitment to making Ilsan Bridge completely toll-free, allowing residents to experience improved transportation welfare from the start of the new year.
Accordingly, the tolls for Ilsan Bridge have been adjusted as follows: for Type 1 vehicles (passenger cars or vans with up to 16 seats), the fee has been reduced from 1,200 won to 600 won; for Types 2 and 3 (trucks, etc.), from 1,800 won to 900 won; for Types 4 and 5 (trucks over 10 tons, etc.), from 2,400 won to 1,200 won; and for Type 6 (compact cars, etc.), from 600 won to 300 won.
This decision is a policy move by Gyeonggi Province to prioritize residents' right to mobility, despite the structural limitations of Ilsan Bridge as the only privately funded toll road crossing the Han River and the ongoing complex legal disputes.
Initially, making Ilsan Bridge toll-free required financial contributions from the central government and related local governments (Goyang, Paju, and Gimpo), and delays in budget deliberations raised concerns about the full implementation of the plan. However, after discussions with the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, the province decided to implement a "half-price toll" policy by using its own budget to cover 50% of the toll, aiming to provide better transportation welfare for residents. Gyeonggi Province has allocated 20 billion won out of the 40 billion won required for making Ilsan Bridge toll-free in this year's main budget.
On October 2 of last year, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon held an emergency meeting with Democratic Party lawmakers Park Jung, Han Junho, Kim Jooyoung, Park Sanghyuk, Kim Younghwan, and Lee Kiheon, whose constituencies include Goyang, Paju, and Gimpo, and proposed a plan to make Ilsan Bridge toll-free.
Under this plan, starting January 1, 2026, Gyeonggi Province will proactively pay 50% of the toll amount to the National Pension Service, the owner of Ilsan Bridge, until the toll collection contract expires in 2038. The remaining 50% will be shared by local governments such as Gimpo, Goyang, and Paju, as well as the central government.
In line with this, Gimpo City recently announced plans to make tolls free for vehicles commuting to and from Gimpo, based on Gyeonggi Province's 50% support. Gyeonggi Province intends to continue discussions so that residents of Goyang and Paju can also benefit from the complete elimination of the Ilsan Bridge toll, starting with Gimpo City.
The central government has also finalized a budget this year for a research study on support measures for the Ilsan Bridge toll, and related studies are expected to proceed. Based on the results of these studies, the province will also work to include toll support in next year's national budget.
Gyeonggi Province plans to continue follow-up procedures such as financial cost-sharing, institutional improvements, and joint actions to strengthen public interest, so that the full elimination of tolls by 2026 can proceed without setbacks, starting with this toll reduction.
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province began actively pursuing a plan to make Ilsan Bridge toll-free in February 2021, during President Lee Jaemyung's tenure as governor, together with Gimpo, Goyang, and Paju. At the time, Governor Lee stated at an on-site meeting for improving Ilsan Bridge tolls, "It is too unfair and unjust that this is the only Han River bridge with a toll. Gyeonggi Province will come up with alternatives," indicating the intention to implement toll improvements.
However, difficulties arose due to the National Pension Service, the owner of Ilsan Bridge, insisting on profitability and ongoing legal disputes. While tolls were temporarily eliminated from October 27 to November 17, 2021, through a public interest disposition (cancellation of the project operator designation), a court injunction reinstated the tolls.
During the eighth popularly elected government, Gyeonggi Province continued its efforts to eliminate tolls on Ilsan Bridge. The province actively responded to lawsuits while maintaining negotiation channels with the National Pension Service to seek practical solutions for toll reduction.
In particular, on October 20 of last year, Governor Kim Dongyeon reignited discussions on making Ilsan Bridge toll-free by declaring at the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit that Gyeonggi Province would proactively cover 50% of the costs for toll elimination.
President Lee Jaemyung, during his presidential campaign on May 20 of last year in Goyang and Paju, also pledged to push for the elimination of the Ilsan Bridge toll, stating, "When I was governor, I made it toll-free, but as soon as I left, it was reinstated. If I become president, who could stop me? I will resolve this as quickly as possible."
Governor Kim Dongyeon stated, "This toll reduction is not the end, but a new starting point toward complete elimination. I hope the central government, as well as Gimpo, Paju, and Goyang cities, will join in sharing the financial burden and improving the system for the convenience of residents. Through responsible administration that keeps promises, we will do our utmost to enhance the quality of life for our residents."
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