Concerns Over Gyeonggi Province SOC Spending Cuts

"The government should heed the expectations of Gyeonggi Province residents in the new administration and actively pursue essential and urgent SOC investment in Gyeonggi Province so that the Republic of Korea can achieve the 'Miracle on the Han River' once again."

The Saenuri Gyeonggi Province Party (Chairwoman Ko Hui-seon) released a statement urging the Park Geun-hye administration to implement its presidential election pledges.

On the morning of July 2 at the National Assembly, Ko Hui-seon, chairwoman of the Gyeonggi Province Party, called for SOC investment to implement President Park Geun-hye's eight major pledges for Gyeonggi Province: establishing infrastructure for Korean Wave support, promoting GTX (Seoul Metropolitan Area Express Railway), developing Universal Studios Korea Resort (USKR), extending the Seoson-bound KTX line to Uijeongbu, implementing transportation measures for the Seoul metropolitan area, creating a DMZ Korean Peninsula Eco-Peace Belt, designating specific regions in northern Gyeonggi in connection with Gangwon Province, and establishing marine leisure and tourism infrastructure in Gyeonggi Bay.

Chairman Ko further stated, "Despite the necessity of social infrastructure (SOC) investment for national economic recovery and enhanced competitiveness, I express deep concern over the excessive trend of government spending cuts related to Gyeonggi Province SOC recently being shown," and reiterated the call to implement the presidential pledges.

In particular, she emphasized the need for early construction of the Seoul Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX), for which concerns about recent project implementation have been raised. She also emphasized the necessity of road construction in northern Gyeonggi Province, which has been neglected amid overlapping regulations and various benefits such as transportation and welfare.