Mayor Lee Hyun-jae of Hanam Vows to Focus All Administrative Resources on Realizing Wirye-Sinsa Line Hanam Extension

Mayor Lee Engages with Wirye-dong Residents
Hanam City Pursues Major Changes in Transportation and Education for Wirye New Town
Roadmap Unveiled for Sports Facilities and Libraries
Key Issues Addressed, Including Seongnam Golf Course Site Utilization

On January 21, Lee Hyun-jae, Mayor of Hanam City, announced at the 'Dialogue with Wirye-dong Residents' held at the Wirye-dong Administrative Welfare Center that he would focus all administrative resources to ensure the Hanam extension plan for the Wirye-Sinsa Line is included in the 5th Metropolitan Transportation Implementation Plan by the Metropolitan Transport Commission in the first half of this year.

Lee Hyun-jae, Mayor of Hanam City, is holding a "Dialogue with Wirye-dong Residents" at the Wirye-dong Administrative Welfare Center on the 21st. Provided by Hanam City

The Wirye-Sinsa Line is a long-awaited project for residents of Wirye New Town. Mayor Lee has been making multifaceted efforts, including issuing a statement on January 15 urging the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Metropolitan Transport Commission to expedite the preliminary feasibility study.

Mayor Lee emphasized, "It is regrettable that the Wirye-Sinsa Line has not broken ground for 17 years, even though residents have already paid the costs. We will collaborate with neighboring local governments such as Seoul and Seongnam to ensure the Hanam extension is realized."

As a specific measure to alleviate traffic congestion, he presented a plan to expand roads in the northern Wirye area. The access road to the apartment complexes around Ilsang Block 9 will be expanded from three to five lanes, a result achieved through negotiations during the private developer's building permit and review process.

Mayor Lee stated, "Considering the inconvenience caused by narrow access roads in northern Wirye, we have secured additional lanes through educational environment assessments and other means. We will ensure the road expansion is completed promptly in line with the private construction schedule."

Regarding education, Mayor Lee expressed confidence by highlighting the achievements of Wirye High School. He explained, "Although Wirye High School is a new institution that opened only nine years ago, its track record for admissions to top universities and medical and pharmaceutical schools in 2025 and 2026 has significantly improved."

He added, "Over the past three years, Hanam City has provided a total of 7.1 billion won in support to schools in the Wirye area, and we will continue to create an optimal educational environment, including operating school buses, so students can focus on their studies."

In particular, he noted that a total budget of 330 million won will be allocated to provide dedicated school buses for students commuting from Gam-il New Town to Wirye High School, in cooperation with the Office of Education.

Regarding the use of the Seongnam Golf Course site, a major issue in Wirye-dong, Mayor Lee stressed, "We already expressed our intention to acquire the site to the Ministry of National Defense in 2023. We will continue to consult with the Ministry to expedite the soil remediation work, which is scheduled to run until 2028, so that the site can be used as a recreational space for residents and as an area for Hanam's future development."

He also presented a concrete roadmap for expanding local infrastructure. Mayor Lee promised, "The Wirye Multi-purpose Sports Facility will be completed in April, and the Wirye Forest Library will be completed in October. Through the creation of a Hwangto Trail and the maintenance of Hakamcheon Stream, we will make Wirye a more livable community that residents can truly appreciate."

The mayor also mentioned plans to reorganize bus routes to alleviate traffic congestion. Mayor Lee said, "We are expanding routes through the quasi-public village bus system, and especially, we will reorganize the bus system to improve access to Macheon Station and Jangji Station during commuting hours. In June, when the tram opens, we will establish a seamless transportation network by linking village buses."

Additionally, through a Q&A session, Mayor Lee listened to citizens' suggestions for diversifying lifelong learning programs and promised to expand user-centered, customized content.

In particular, regarding proposals to introduce practical courses such as art therapy, asset management, and real estate auctions, Mayor Lee instructed relevant departments to "closely benchmark best practices from other local governments and adapt them to fit the circumstances of Hanam City."