"Semiconductor and AI Hub Southern Gyeonggi Urgently Needs Metropolitan Railway"...Politicians and Municipal Heads Hold Joint Press Conference

A press conference was held at the National Assembly urging the prompt inclusion of the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway, which connects Hwaseong, Suwon, Yongin, and Seongnam, in the 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan. This time, members of the Democratic Party and local municipal heads participated.

On the 13th at the National Assembly Hall Communication Center in Seoul, Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myung-geun, Suwon Special City First Deputy Mayor Kim Hyun-su, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung (Democratic Party, Hwaseong District), Suwon Mayor Rep. Yom Tae-young, and Yongin Mayor Rep. Bu Seung-chan attended. The press conference was primarily organized by Rep. Kwon Chil-seung (Democratic Party, Hwaseong District) and Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myung-geun.

The participants read a joint press statement urging the government to include the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan and requested active government review and prompt decision-making.

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myung-geun stated, "Southern Gyeonggi, including Hwaseong, Suwon, Yongin, and Seongnam, is a key economic zone leading South Korea's future industries," and emphasized, "Expansion of metropolitan transportation networks is essential for sustained growth and convenience for citizens' transportation."

He continued, "The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway is more than a simple transportation convenience; it is a core artery supporting national strategic industries. Since the necessity and validity of the project have been confirmed, I strongly recommend that the government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reflect the wishes of 4.2 million residents of Southern Gyeonggi by including it in the 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan."

In particular, Hwaseong Special City has been continuously recommending the inclusion in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan of four new railway lines: the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway, the Southern Gyeonggi East-West Cross Line, the extension of the Shin-Ansan Line to Songsan Green City, and the extension of the Shinbundang Line to Ujeong, and is continuing to cooperate with relevant agencies and regional members of the National Assembly to achieve this.

The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway is a metropolitan railway project spanning a total length of 50.7 km, connecting from Seoul's Jamsil Sports Complex through Pangyo in Seongnam, Suji in Yongin, and Gwanggyo in Suwon to Bongdam in Hwaseong, and secured a B/C ratio of 1.20 in a preliminary feasibility study jointly conducted by the four cities.

Southern Gyeonggi areas such as Hwaseong, Suwon, Yongin, and Seongnam are key economic zones concentrated with advanced future industries such as semiconductors and AI, with continuously increasing population and transportation demand. The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway is evaluated as core infrastructure that will address the region's metropolitan transportation demand, enhance connectivity of the Seoul metropolitan transportation network by linking with major railway lines such as GTX-C and the Shinbundang Line, while supporting the competitiveness of national strategic industries.

The relevant local governments have been continuously recommending inclusion in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan, including collecting over 44,000 signatures through a civic petition campaign in May and submitting them to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.