When Will the Decision on the Undergrounding of the GTX-C Line Dobong Section Be Made?

Originally planned as an underground section in Dobong-gu, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) suddenly changed it to an aboveground plan, sparking opposition from Dobong residents. On the 10th, the Public Investment Management Center's (PIMAC) private investment feasibility study results showed both aboveground and underground options as feasible, drawing attention to what stance MOLIT will take... Dobong residents strongly request that the underground plan be implemented as originally planned.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Regarding the underground construction of the GTX-C line in Dobong-gu, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport notified the results of the private investment feasibility study by the Public Investment Management Center (PIMAC) on the 10th, as requested by the Board of Audit and Inspection. Both aboveground and underground options were deemed feasible for private investment, so there is no clear conclusion, which is frustrating. However, the possibility of pursuing underground construction seems to have increased, raising expectations.”

A Dobong-gu official said that although the private investment feasibility study concluded that both aboveground and underground construction of the GTX-C line in Dobong-gu are feasible for private investment, there is greater hope for the underground option.

Originally, the GTX-C section from Yangju in Gyeonggi Province to Dobong, Cheongnyangni, and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, including the Dobong-gu section (Chang-dong to Dobongsan, 5.4 km), was planned to be underground.

However, MOLIT caused controversy by changing the plan to aboveground construction during the GTX-C line promotion process and private operator selection, differing from the basic plan and previous plans.

Subsequently, Dobong-gu filed a public interest audit request with the Board of Audit and Inspection, which pointed out that MOLIT had improperly changed the project section from the original plan during the GTX-C line promotion and private operator selection process, inadequately reviewed inquiries and responses, and failed to properly conduct follow-up measures such as private investment feasibility reviews. The Board also ordered the preparation of the most reasonable implementation alternatives that align with the project’s purpose based on the private investment feasibility review results.

Afterwards, MOLIT requested a private investment feasibility study from the Public Investment Management Center (PIMAC), which produced these results on the day.

Since July last year, Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu has met twice with Minister Won Hee-ryong of MOLIT to explain the position of Dobong residents and urged early confirmation of underground construction for the Dobong section of the GTX-C line and swift project implementation.

Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu Meets Minister Won Hee-ryong Twice to Request Underground Construction

Mayor Oh urged early confirmation of underground construction for the Dobong section of the GTX-C line through negotiations on the implementation agreement between MOLIT and the private operator (Hyundai Construction Consortium) and called for rapid project advancement.

O Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu (right), is meeting with Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, delivering a document requesting the underground construction of the Dobong section of the GTX-C line and having a conversation.

In particular, the aboveground construction of the Dobong section of the GTX-C line (shared with the Gyeongwon Line) was changed from underground to aboveground. Dobong-gu has requested that the underground construction, which was confirmed in the legally binding plans such as the 'C Line Replanning Study (Dec. 2015)', 'Preliminary Feasibility Study (Dec. 2018)', and 'Feasibility Study and Basic Plan (Oct. 2020)', be implemented as originally planned.

A Dobong-gu official said, “Subway lines 1 and 2 in Seoul have aboveground sections, and the Gyeongin Expressway is also underground. Is it in line with the spirit of the times to build the Dobong section of the GTX-C line aboveground? We believe MOLIT will make a desirable decision.”

Mayor Oh Eon-seok said, “The underground construction of the Dobong section has been progressing without issues under previous higher-level plans, and both the public interest audit and the re-investigation of private investment feasibility prove this. With the recent feasibility determination for both aboveground and underground options, along with last year’s Board of Audit and Inspection public interest audit results, we have secured sufficient justification to pursue underground construction of the Dobong section. We look forward to MOLIT’s wise final decision.”

Attention on Whether MOLIT Will Decide on Underground Construction Before Detailed Design with Hyundai Construction Consortium

Dobong-gu, one of the underdeveloped areas in northern Seoul, strongly opposes aboveground construction, viewing it as a major obstacle to regional development.

Accordingly, Mayor Oh Eon-seok is reportedly planning to convey the residents’ earnest wishes to MOLIT once again through first-place protests or resident petitions.

Underground construction of the Dobong section is expected to cost approximately 400 to 600 billion KRW more.

The GTX-C line is scheduled to sign the implementation agreement and begin construction this year, so MOLIT is expected to make a decision soon.

Thus, the ball is now in MOLIT’s court.

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