Will 'Eduwill Academy' be added to Noryangjin Station?… Majority of residents 'oppose'

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] It appears that the plan to add the name of the private education company 'Eduwill' to the name of Noryangjin Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 will be withdrawn due to resident opposition.

According to Dongjak District Office on the 5th, the process of gathering resident opinions for and against using an additional station name alongside the official name of Noryangjin Station on Line 1 will continue until the 7th. It is known that Eduwill, an academy company, is the only applicant for the station name addition.

If the station name addition is approved, passengers will hear announcements such as "This station is Noryangjin, Eduwill Academy" on the subway. The name Eduwill will also be displayed alongside the station name on the exterior walls of the station building, entrances, platform signs, and route maps inside the train.

Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) stated, "Station name additions are implemented to enhance the recognition of institutions that represent the region and have public significance, and to provide convenience to customers using the railway." The usage fee for the Noryangjin Station name is about 40 million KRW annually under a three-year contract, but it is reported that Eduwill offered more than that.

However, the feasibility of realizing the 'Noryangjin·Eduwill Academy Station' is currently low. According to Korail, station name additions proceed only if opposition from residents does not exceed 50%, but it is reported that the majority of opinions received so far are against it.

The Justice Party Dongjak District Committee also pointed out on the 1st, "Considering the risk of deep conflicts erupting among numerous nearby academies, this is not a simple issue," adding, "It is imperative to prevent Noryangjin Station, which is no exaggeration the symbol of Dongjak District, from becoming an advertising board for a specific academy and losing its public function."

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