Mokpo Mayor Kim Jong-sik: "We Will Achieve Results on Local Issues Including New Mokpo History Building"

Meeting with Son Myeong-su, 2nd Vice Minister of MOLIT, Proposing Government Projects Including Relocation of Mokpo Station Railway Facilities

(On the left) Mayor Kim Jong-sik met with Son Myung-soo, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on the 2nd to explain the local situation and the necessity of ongoing projects, requesting the inclusion in government plans and national funding support. (Photo by Mokpo City)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] On the 2nd, Mokpo City announced that Mayor Kim Jong-sik met with Son Myeong-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to explain the local situation and the necessity of pending projects, requesting their inclusion in government plans and national funding support.

The pending projects for which Mayor Kim requested national funding include the relocation and functional improvement of Mokpo Station's railway facilities and the extension of the starting point of National Route 1.

Mokpo City has seen a significant increase in tourists as tourism infrastructure has expanded with the marine cable car and the branding of the city as a city of taste. Being selected as one of Korea's four major tourism hub cities and hosting international events are expected to further increase tourist numbers.

Accordingly, the number of users at Mokpo Station, the starting station of the Honam Line, has been steadily increasing every year.

However, the current Mokpo Station is insufficient to cope with these changes. After the new Mokpo Station was built and completed in July 1979, it was expanded in April 2004 with the operation of the KTX, making improvements urgently needed.

The station is aging and cramped, structurally causing inconvenience to users. Additionally, there are many complaints about the difficulty of obtaining train tickets due to fewer KTX operations than demand.

In particular, several railway construction projects, including KTX trains originating and terminating at Mokpo Station from Incheon, Suwon, and Busan, are scheduled for completion, making preparation for additional demand an urgent task.

With the current facility layout of Mokpo Station, it is impossible to increase KTX services through the expansion of high-speed train tracks.

To resolve these inconveniences and problems, Mokpo City initiated a service on the 19th of last month for the "Relocation and Functional Improvement of Mokpo Station Railway Facilities."

Through the relocation and functional improvement of Mokpo Station's railway facilities, the city plans to expand KTX services, modernize the station, and utilize idle land to create convenience facilities such as parks, plazas, and parking lots.

Mayor Kim explained these circumstances and plans in detail to Vice Minister Son and proposed their reflection and promotion in government projects.

Additionally, he requested the extension of the starting point of National Route 1 within Mokpo City, designated in 2013, and its designation as a national road for state management.

Currently, National Route 1 is designated only for the 12.8 km section from Mokpo IC to the starting point of Mokpo Bridge (Shinhang Intersection), and although Mokpo New Port is a national port within the same area, management is divided between Mokpo City and the National Road Maintenance Office.

The city requested that National Route 1, which connects the Seohaean Expressway, Mokpo New Port, and Daebul National Industrial Complex and is used as a national industrial logistics road, be extended to 14.1 km up to the boundary of Mokpo New Port and managed uniformly as a designated national road, with maintenance costs borne by the state.

Mayor Kim Jong-sik stated, "To resolve long-standing local issues such as the reconstruction of Mokpo Station, we will actively cooperate with related ministries and National Assembly member Kim Won-i, and through persistent attempts and efforts, we will definitely achieve the desired results."

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