GTX-C Wangsimni Station Stop Demand '230,000 Signatures from Seoul and Gyeonggi Residents'

Seongdong District Residents' Promotion Committee Submits Petition with 232,080 Resident Signatures to Ministry of Land... Seoul and Gyeonggi Residents Participate in Signing, Barugesalgi Council, Hanyang University, and Dongdaemun Market Also Submit Petitions

Petition for GTX-C Line to Stop at Wangsimni Station

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) ‘Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line C Wangsimni Station Establishment Seongdong Residents Promotion Committee’ submitted a petition signed by 230,000 residents and a proposal demanding the stop of GTX-C Line at Wangsimni Station to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

In May, when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a change from the original plan for GTX-C Line to pass underground through the Seongsu residential area to instead pass via Wangsimni Station, Seongdong-gu and residents strongly insisted on the stop at Wangsimni Station.

Despite being the largest transfer station in northern Seoul and the optimal station for metropolitan area residents’ access to downtown Seoul, the plan to pass through without stopping disregards the convenience of train transfer passengers and causes serious regional inequality.

Accordingly, Seongdong-gu immediately formed a task force team and began a feasibility study for the stop at Wangsimni Station, while residents formed the ‘Seongdong Residents Promotion Committee’ and launched an online and offline signature campaign starting June 16.

Within 12 days, the signatures exceeded 150,000, and by mid-August, a total of 232,000 people participated, including residents from neighboring districts Jung-gu and Gwangjin-gu, as well as from Suwon-si, Yangju-si, and Uijeongbu-si in Gyeonggi Province.

On the 25th, the Promotion Committee submitted the petition to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and delivered a proposal conveying the necessity of the Wangsimni Station stop and the residents’ wishes.

Previously, Seongdong-gu, Hanyang University, and Hanyang Women’s University jointly recognized the need for establishing Wangsimni Station on GTX-C Line and submitted a joint proposal to the Ministry, with the Barun Saelgi Association branches in Suwon-si and Seongdong-gu also participating in the joint proposal submission.

Additionally, with expectations that the establishment of Wangsimni Station could revitalize Dongdaemun Shopping District, 339 merchants of Dongdaemun Market delivered a proposal under the name of Nampyeonghwa Shopping Center along with the petition.

Chairman Kim Yeon-po of the Promotion Committee stated, “Wangsimni Station is the optimal transfer station that can enhance accessibility from the metropolitan outskirts to business districts in downtown Seoul such as Gwanghwamun, Euljiro, Mapo, and Gongdeok, and it aligns best with the purpose of GTX. Among the 10 stations on GTX-C Line, 8 stations are served by Line 1, causing excessive overlap with Line 1, while Wangsimni Station, served by Line 5 and the Dongbuk Light Rail Transit, is not included. Establishing Wangsimni Station would provide various transfer options, so it is incomprehensible that the train would pass without stopping due to project period extension and budget issues,” he said.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “The stop of GTX-C Line at Wangsimni Station greatly improves downtown accessibility and transfer convenience for metropolitan area residents, and active support is continuing from adjacent areas and Gyeonggi residents. The stop at Wangsimni Station is not only a matter for Seongdong-gu but also a transportation welfare issue for the entire metropolitan area. We must not give up transportation benefits enjoyed by 100 million people annually by investing just 2 minutes of stopping time,” he added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.