SEONGNAM — Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il and Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin have joined forces to push for a southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway project to be included in the national rail plan.
The two mayors held a joint rally on the 1st at Daejang Neighborhood Park in Daejang-dong, Seongnam, together with representatives of the civic coalition from Yongin, Seongnam, Suwon and Hwaseong.
They urged the government to include the southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway project in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. Officials from the civic coalition's chapters in all four cities seeking the line attended the rally and voiced support for the project.
"The hopes of 4.2 million residents across the four cities, including 1.11 million in Yongin, must be realized," Lee said. He added that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport "should take an active interest in easing traffic congestion in southern Gyeonggi."
Lee said the railway has been a core transportation project pursued jointly by the four cities since the start of his term. "Residents of Yongin, Seongnam, Suwon and Hwaseong are suffering chronic transportation inconvenience," he said. "Expanding the metropolitan rail network is a task that can no longer be delayed."
He also said a joint feasibility study produced a benefit-cost ratio of 1.2, adding that "the project's economic viability has been confirmed." Lee said congestion on the Yongin-Seoul Expressway during commuting hours would ease considerably once the line opens.
"The high-tech workforce in semiconductors and artificial intelligence is growing rapidly," Lee said. "The sooner the metropolitan railway is built, the better." He said Yongin would continue working with Seongnam, Suwon and Hwaseong to secure inclusion in the national rail plan.
Shin also made a strong case for the project.
"The southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway is a project that gives residents back their time," Shin said. He stressed the need to cut the time wasted daily on the Yongin-Seoul Expressway and the Gyeongbu Expressway. "This railway is a national task that opens the arteries of Korea's high-tech industry," he said.
"We will bring together the will of 4.2 million residents and make sure it is reflected in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan," Shin said. He added that Seongnam, Yongin, Suwon and Hwaseong would pool their efforts to the end.
Lee Sang-won, co-chair of the Seongnam chapter of the four-city civic coalition, read out a joint petition at the rally. "Residents traveling between Seoul and southern Gyeonggi are suffering from severe traffic congestion," he said.
He called on the ministry to "respond to the urgent demands of 4.2 million residents." The four-city civic coalition said the railway is infrastructure needed to ease congestion and secure industrial competitiveness.
Yongin and Seongnam have worked jointly with Suwon and Hwaseong to advance the project. The four cities launched a basic concept and preliminary feasibility study in September 2023.
In May 2024, the mayors of the four cities signed a joint petition seeking the project's inclusion as a new item in the national rail plan. They have since repeatedly pressed the government on the need for the line.
Shin held a news conference in November 2024 to publicly call for inclusion in the national rail plan. He has since visited the ministry and sent a letter to the minister to make the case for the project.
The city also submitted a formal request to the central government at a national policy briefing for mayors and county chiefs in August this year. Seongnam has built up a 300 billion won ($215 million) railway construction fund in preparation for the project.
Seongnam plans to add 100 billion won over the four years of the current mayoral term, expanding the fund to 400 billion won. The move is intended to secure financing for a swift rollout of the railway.
Lee has led discussions on the project since early in his term. Beginning in October 2022, Yongin reviewed the new southern Gyeonggi railway as an alternative to extending Seoul Subway Line 3, working with Seongnam, Suwon and Hwaseong.
Lee met the land ministry's minister and vice ministers several times to explain the project's rationale and economic viability. In January this year, he met the then land minister at the Government Complex Sejong and handed over related materials.
Ahead of a presidential policy briefing in August, he also submitted materials to the government on expanding Yongin's rail and road networks. In the process, Lee stressed the need to include the railway in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan.
The joint rally followed a meeting on the 3rd of last month between Lee and representatives of civic groups from the four cities. The groups asked local governments to take a more active role in realizing the railway.
Lee proposed a joint statement to Shin at that meeting. Shin agreed, leading to the rally.
The two mayors and civic association representatives signed the joint petition at the rally. The petition is to be delivered to the land ministry this month.
The southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway would run from Jamsil Sports Complex Station in Seoul through Suseo Station, Pangyo in Seongnam, Sinbong and Seongbok-dong in Yongin, Gwanggyo in Suwon and Bongdam in Hwaseong. The line would stretch 50.7 kilometers, with 22 stations planned across the four cities. The estimated cost is 5.275 trillion won ($3.8 billion).
The joint petition described southern Gyeonggi as a leading high-tech industrial hub in Korea. It said expanding transportation infrastructure is urgent to keep pace with growth in the semiconductor and AI industries.
Lee and Shin said the land ministry and related agencies "should consult actively with the four cities." They also asked the government to "carry out the necessary administrative procedures promptly."
