Suwon City, led by Mayor Lee Jae-jun, held a press conference on October 13 at the National Assembly Communication Center with lawmakers from Suwon, Hwaseong, and Yongin, urging the government to include the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway in the fifth National Rail Network Construction Plan.
Hosted by Rep. Kwon Chil-seung (Hwaseong), the event featured Suwon's First Deputy Mayor Kim Hyun-soo, Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and lawmakers Yeom Tae-young (Suwon) and Bae Seung-chan (Yongin).
During the press conference, they read a statement highlighting the rapid population growth and the establishment of high-tech industrial complexes in the Southern Gyeonggi region, while emphasizing the severe lack of public transportation infrastructure, which has led residents to experience 'commuting hell.' They asserted that the project's economic viability has been sufficiently demonstrated and called on the government to expedite its inclusion in the fifth plan and accelerate administrative procedures.
They stressed that the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway would serve as a "key artery supporting the national power industry" and is a national task that cannot be postponed for enhancing growth and future industrial competitiveness in the southern metropolitan area.
The Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway is planned to span 50.7 kilometers, with Suwon, Seongnam, Yongin, and Hwaseong collaborating through a mutual agreement. The preliminary feasibility study indicated a benefit-cost (B/C) ratio of 1.2. Suwon City believes this result objectively verifies the project's economic and practical viability.
Suwon City plans to work closely with the collaborating local governments and the National Assembly to ensure the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway is included in the fifth National Rail Network Construction Plan.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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