Donghae City Accelerates Leap Forward as an International City Centered on Tourism and Logistics Following KTX High-Speed Project Approval

City Announces Three Key Strategies for the KTX High-Speed Era
Strengthening Stay-Type Tourism Linked to the Comprehensive Tourism Plan
Revitalizing Port-Linked Industry and Logistics
Restructuring Downtown and Station Areas and Revitalizing the Local Economy

The city of Donghae in Gangwon Province announced on the 25th that, following the preliminary feasibility study approval of the Donghae Line KTX high-speed project in February, it will steadily prepare measures to boost local tourism and the logistics industry based on improved rail accessibility.

Exterior view of Donghae City Hall. Photo provided by Donghae City.

This preliminary feasibility approval of the KTX high-speed project is expected to bring not only positive changes such as reduced travel time and improved rail accessibility, but also various benefits for local economic growth and urban environment improvement.

Accordingly, Donghae City plans to establish a comprehensive urban development direction in which railways, ports, tourism, and the local economy are organically connected, and to respond from a mid- to long-term perspective.

Donghae City stated that, thanks to the high-speed upgrade, the influx of tourists and the momentum for revitalizing local commercial districts will accelerate, the efficiency of cargo transport by rail will increase, and the city will also be able to expand its role as an industrial and logistics hub combining railways and ports.

Preparation Plan 1: Strengthening Stay-Type Tourism through Linkage with the Comprehensive Tourism Plan

Donghae City plans to prepare for the KTX high-speed era by incorporating a mid- to long-term tourism strategy that links tourism with railways and ports into the comprehensive tourism development plan currently being formulated.

The core axes will be the Mukho emotional tourism area (Nongoldam-gil, Dongho Bookstore Village, and the Mukho Port area), natural attractions such as Mureung Byeolyucheonji and Mureung Valley, and the Mangsang-Chuam coastal tourism belt, and the city plans to strengthen stay-type tourism routes that connect each of these zones.

In particular, in anticipation of an increase in tourists from the Seoul metropolitan area traveling by rail, the city will pursue station-area development based on accommodation, experience programs, and commercial facilities, with a focus on enhancing convenience and accessibility for tourists.

Since the opening of the KTX Donghae Line in March 2020, tourist inflows have increased and commercial districts such as traditional markets and youth malls have been revitalized, and the city expects that the scale of local economic revitalization will grow even further after the rail upgrade to higher speeds.

Preparation Plan 2: Revitalizing Port-Linked Industry and Logistics

Mukho Port and Donghae Port boast a specialized location in Korea, with railways and ports in close proximity. The city expects that the high-speed project will strengthen logistics functions that link ports and railways, creating synergy effects that will invigorate industry.

In particular, as Mukho Port and Donghae Port serve as hubs for maritime exchange in the East Sea Rim region, improved KTX accessibility is highly likely to lead to more efficient logistics connections and an expansion of marine tourism functions. The city analyzes that this will lay the foundation for Donghae to leap forward as a Northeast Asian logistics hub and international gateway city where logistics and tourism are combined.

Going forward, Donghae City plans to gradually build an integrated rail-port structure by reviewing the establishment of infrastructure such as the Mukho Port marina, marine leisure facilities, and a cruise terminal.

Preparation Plan 3: Restructuring Downtown and Station Areas and Revitalizing the Local Economy

The city expects that rail high-speed upgrades will also bring about a restructuring of urban space beyond tourism and logistics, and plans to create a new stay-oriented urban space by linking the undergrounding of the downtown rail section around Mukho Station with station-area development.

The city plans to develop the space under and around the railway in the downtown area into experiential visitor hubs or local co-prosperity hubs, and expects that resolving urban fragmentation will improve the living environment and revitalize commerce.

Shim Kyu-eon, Mayor of Donghae, said, "The KTX high-speed project will be a new turning point for the balanced growth of tourism, the local economy, industry, and logistics," adding, "Based on the expansion of tourism infrastructure and the strengthening of port functions that have continued for more than 10 years since the opening of the railway, we will continue our efforts in cooperation and preparation."

He added, "We will develop Donghae into a city where people stay and connect, rather than just pass through, and into an international city at the heart of tourism and logistics in Northeast Asia, where railways and ports are integrated."