Assemblyman Kim Hoe-jae Urges Chief Noh Young-min to Include Jeolla Line High-Speed Rail in the 4th National Railroad Network Plan

Urging Operation of Suseo-Origin Jeolla Line

No Young-min, Chief Secretary, Responds, "I Will Actively Convey Both Matters to Relevant Agencies"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Kim Hoe-jae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Yeosu-eul, Jeonnam), urged Roh Young-min, Chief of Staff to the President, during the National Assembly Steering Committee’s business report the day before, saying, “To achieve the government’s national agenda of balanced national development and the completion of a nationwide two-hour living zone, the Jeolla Line high-speed rail project must be included in the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan, and the operation of the Suseo-originating Jeolla Line should be expedited.”

In response, Chief of Staff Roh Young-min positively replied, “I will actively convey the two points you mentioned to the relevant agencies.”

Rep. Kim pointed out, “Currently, the entire country can be reached within two hours from Seoul by high-speed rail, but the Jeolla Line alone remains at a three-hour level,” adding, “This is because the Iksan-Yeosu section runs on a ‘20th-century railroad’ level with Saemaeul trains running at an average speed of 120 km/h, not high-speed rail.”

He continued, “The number of Jeolla Line passengers has continuously increased from 1.76 million in 2012 to 6.97 million in 2019, so there is a strong demand to include the Jeolla Line high-speed rail project in the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan,” and asserted, “Since the southern inland railway from Gimcheon to Geoje is also proceeding as a project exempt from preliminary feasibility study and other railroads are under construction, the remaining Jeolla Line must also be newly established as a high-speed rail as soon as possible.”

Regarding the operation of the Suseo-originating Jeolla Line, he urged, “Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi promised, ‘After the PyeongChang Olympics, we will deploy the remaining trains,’ but this has not been implemented,” and emphasized, “The operation of the Suseo-originating Jeolla Line must be expedited.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Kim also met with Son Myung-soo, 2nd Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, that morning to discuss the inclusion of the Jeolla Line high-speed rail in the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan. He is actively working through the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee’s standing committee activities, floor meetings, and the Honam region metropolitan city and provincial budget policy council to ensure the establishment of a direct high-speed rail on the Jeolla Line and the operation of the Suseo-originating Jeolla Line.

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