Pyeongtaek-Asan-Cheonan Circular Railway Gains Traction...Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong Agree on Nine Cooperation Items

As Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province have agreed on nine cooperation items for mutual development of both regions, attention is being drawn to whether the construction of the Pyeongtaek-Asan-Cheonan Circular Railway (Bay Train) will be realized.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province and Governor Kim Tae-heum of South Chungcheong Province met at the South Chungcheong Provincial Government on the morning of the 29th and signed a 'Gyeonggi-South Chungcheong Mutual Cooperation Business Agreement.'

The nine major agreement items are: ▲Mutual cooperation on the construction of the Pyeongtaek-Asan-Cheonan Circular Railway ▲Cooperation in creating state-of-the-art industrial belts in adjacent areas of Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong ▲Improving logistics environment at Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports and fostering advanced bases for exports ▲Joint development of tourism resources in coastal areas of Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong ▲Cooperation in establishing hydrogen energy convergence industry belts ▲Mutual cooperation to expand support for areas surrounding U.S. military bases ▲Development of marina hubs and marine and leisure industries in the West Coast region ▲Joint response to marine debris collection and disposal ▲Joint research cooperation on major pending issues and development directions of both provinces.

Today's business agreement is the first inter-regional business agreement signed after Governor Kim Dong-yeon's inauguration in the eighth popular election.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province stated, "Governor Kim Tae-heum first proposed the Bay Valley Mega-City concept, and I believe it is a desirable path for mutual prosperity between South Chungcheong and Gyeonggi Province, so I agreed to participate willingly." He added, "I hope that this agreement will serve as an opportunity to achieve concrete results starting with smaller initiatives. Since southern Gyeonggi is home to semiconductor clusters and various high-tech industries, combining them with the various growth potential of South Chungcheong should create good synergies."

Following the agreement ceremony, Governor Kim said in a press briefing, "There has been much discussion about the mega-city so far, but it has been limited to specific regions." He emphasized, "This agreement is significant in that it transcends the Chungcheong region and the capital area, and goes beyond political party divisions. I believe it will be a major catalyst for balanced regional development."

Governor Kim Tae-heum of South Chungcheong Province stated, "I believe that the Bay Valley Mega-City can create even greater synergy effects by transcending provincial boundaries and connecting hydrogen, marine leisure tourism, and transportation networks centered on Asan Bay and the West Coast." He continued, "With the signing of the agreement between Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong, which is the first and most important step, we now have nothing left to do but work together and move forward with full force."

According to the agreement, Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province will first cooperate on the construction of the Pyeongtaek-Asan-Cheonan Circular Railway (Bay Train) to promote mutual exchange and provide convenient mobility.

Along with the circular railway, both provinces agreed to have their research institutes conduct joint research starting next year to develop plans for industrial and transportation development in the adjacent areas of southern Gyeonggi and northern South Chungcheong, and to prepare detailed development strategies.

They also agreed to improve the logistics environment of Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports and foster them as an advanced export base for China, as well as cooperate in establishing hydrogen convergence industry belts.

In addition, both regions will continue to cooperate to preserve marine ecosystems and maintain sustainable marine environments by taking advantage of their shared West Coast characteristics, while also planning joint cooperation on joint development of marina hubs along the West Coast and collection and disposal of marine debris.

Meanwhile, today's agreement began when the transition committee for the position of South Chungcheong governor visited the transition committee for the position of Gyeonggi governor in June and proposed the 'Bay Valley Mega-City Construction Concept (draft)'.

The Bay Valley Mega-City is South Chungcheong Province's plan to create a mega-city leading the fourth industrial revolution by connecting Pyeongtaek, Anseong, and Hwaseong in southern Gyeonggi with Cheonan, Asan, and Dangjin in northern South Chungcheong.