"Opening of 4 Railways in the Southeast Region... Southeast Region to Become a 1-Hour Living Zone (Comprehensive)"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in stated that with the opening of four railways in the Southeast region, "the daily lives and economic activities of local residents will change," and that the Southeast region will become a one-hour living zone by 2023. In addition to the Southeast region, he emphasized the continuous construction of metropolitan railway networks and active support for ultra-wide-area cooperation projects by local governments.

On the 28th, President Moon attended the 'Opening Ceremony of Four Southeast Region Railway Construction Projects' held at Taehwagang Station in Nam-gu, Ulsan Metropolitan City, and said, "The Southeast region railway is the first step toward becoming a mega city."

According to the government, a 142.2km railway connecting Daegu, Yeongcheon, Gyeongju, Ulsan, and Busan was opened that day. It is a double-track electrification project connecting Dongdaegu~Yeongcheon, Yeongcheon~Singyeongju, Singyeongju~Taehwagang, and Taehwagang~Ilgwang.

This visit was effectively President Moon's last economic field visit of the year. Considering that his first economic field visit this year was to Wonju Station, where the double-track electrification between Wonju and Jecheon was opened, it can be said that he started and ended the year with railways.

President Moon emphasized, "Starting today, the Ulsan~Busan line will operate the first metropolitan railway outside the metropolitan area. It is the first time in 47 years, or half a century, since the opening of the metropolitan railway in 1974." He added, "With 100 round trips operated daily, the railway will change the daily lives and economic activities of local residents and connect the two cities into a single living zone where people can commute by public transportation."

He continued, "When the Bujeon~Masan section opens in 2023 and the Busan~Yangsan~Ulsan section and the Southeast region circular section are additionally completed, the Southeast region will become a super-strong one-hour living zone."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon predicted that with the opening of the new airport on Gadeokdo Island in 2029, the Southeast region will develop into one of the 'Top 8 Mega Cities in Northeast Asia,' and foresaw that "the Southeast region railway will connect the Southeast region with other regional areas, further expanding the foundation for regional growth."

He explained, "The Southeast region has great growth potential as a mega city. If the transportation network connects the Southeast region into a single economic zone, it will become a mega city with a population of 10 million and an economic scale of 490 trillion won."

Furthermore, he said that the Southeast region railway could become the starting point for future continental railways, emphasizing, "If the North-South railway is connected, it will extend to continental railways, making the Southeast region a foothold for Eurasian expansion."

He also expressed his commitment to the continuous construction of metropolitan railway networks. President Moon stated, "We will invest a total budget of 12 trillion won in metropolitan railway projects to actively establish a foundation for ultra-wide-area cooperation," and added, "Following the opening of the four Southeast region railways, we will promote two metropolitan railway projects in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area, three metropolitan railway projects in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area, and six metropolitan railway projects in the Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong, Gwangju-Jeolla, and Gangwon areas."

At the government level, there is also a policy to actively support ultra-wide-area cooperation projects by local governments. President Moon said, "If local governments form special autonomous bodies for ultra-wide-area cooperation, like the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam special local government launching in the first quarter of next year, we will support initial establishment costs and actively delegate national affairs," adding, "We will revise the Special Act on Balanced National Development and the Framework Act on Land in early next year to promptly establish successful ultra-wide-area models."

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