South Jeolla Province and Gwangju City Select Project as Joint Agenda Item No. 1
Request Inclusion in the 5th National Railway Network Plan
Accelerating Preliminary Feasibility Study and Basic Planning Services
South Jeolla Province announced on February 24 that it will treat the Gwangju-Naju and Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railway construction projects as the top priority in the metropolitan transportation sector for the proposed integrated special city of South Jeolla and Gwangju, and will begin in earnest with follow-up procedures such as securing inclusion in the national railway network and launching a preliminary feasibility study.
The Gwangju-Naju and Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railways are key transportation infrastructure projects that will connect Gwangju and South Jeolla Province into a single living area. They are being promoted as strategic projects to support the formation of a wider living and economic zone after the launch of the integrated special city.
South Jeolla Province plans to request that the Gwangju-Naju and Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railways be included in the “5th National Railway Network Construction Plan (2026-2035)” currently being drawn up by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and at the same time to include special provisions for large-city-area metropolitan transportation improvement projects in the “Special Act (draft) on the Establishment of the Integrated Special City of South Jeolla and Gwangju,” so that the lines retain their status as metropolitan railways even after the integrated special city is launched.
In addition, to ensure the swift implementation of the Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway, the province plans to work closely with the central government and the National Assembly so that a preliminary feasibility study can begin this year and the basic planning service can start next year.
Regarding recent criticism that “South Jeolla Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City submitted separate routes for the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan,” the province explained that the matter was pursued jointly by the two local governments in accordance with a common consultation procedure, and that such claims are not consistent with the facts.
Previously, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju City selected the Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway construction project in August 2025 as Agenda Item No. 1 for joint affairs under the special metropolitan union, and in October they finalized a route via Gwangju Hyocheon Station through consultations involving South Jeolla Province, Gwangju City, and Naju City.
Since then, they have been responding jointly to secure inclusion of the route in the national plan and to accelerate its implementation.
The Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway is a project with a total project cost of 1.7 trillion won, which will start from Gwangju Sangmu Station and connect a total length of 28.77 kilometers through Hyocheon Station, the High-Tech Industrial Complex, Nampyeong-eup, and the Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City to Naju Station.
The Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railway is a project with a total project cost of 460 billion won, which will start from Gwangju Sotae Station and run 11.58 kilometers through Seongyo and Hwasun-eup to Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital.
An official from South Jeolla Province said, “The Gwangju-Naju and Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railways are not merely means of transportation connecting regions, but strategic core projects for the successful establishment of the integrated special city of South Jeolla and Gwangju,” adding, “We will mobilize all our capabilities to ensure the early implementation of these projects.”
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