Gyeongju-si to Create Complex, Commercial, and Cultural Spaces at 7 Abandoned Stations... Development Plan Briefing Held

Decision to Utilize Abandoned Railway Land

Land Purchased for 270 Billion Won

Gyeongju City has unveiled a development blueprint to effectively utilize 17 abandoned stations and 80.3 km of abandoned railway land that lost their functions due to the national railway network project.

On the 12th, the city held the "Final Report Meeting on the Maintenance of Urban Management Plans and Development Plans for Abandoned Railway Land" at the city hall's main conference room and disclosed the basic plan for the development of abandoned railways and lines.

Earlier, in April 2020, Gyeongju City commissioned 'Gyeongho Engineering' to conduct the project, holding expert advisory meetings, resident surveys, and public briefings, culminating in this final report meeting.

Gyeongju City Hall employees are holding the final report meeting for the urban planning maintenance and development plan establishment service of the abandoned railway site in the conference room.

According to the abandoned railway land development plan revealed that day, among the 17 abandoned stations, seven stations close to the city center with good accessibility will be developed into mixed-use, commercial, administrative, cultural, communication, and residential spaces. The remaining 10 abandoned stations and railway lines will be developed with customized projects suitable to the characteristics of each region.

Specifically, Gyeongju Station will be developed into a commercial and business complex district capable of housing public administration, commercial, and office facilities; Seogyeongju Station will become a new town development district with shopping malls and large marts; Bulguksa Station will be preserved as a historical site and developed into a historical and cultural park linked with Bulguksa; Ipsil Station will be designated as a residential complex area; and Geoncheon Station, Bujo Station, and Ahwa Station will be developed into parks and resident relaxation spaces.

For the abandoned railway lines, the urban section will primarily feature the creation of a so-called "Greenway" centered on the "Urban Wind Forest Trail," while the outer sections will focus on another "Greenway" tailored to regional characteristics, such as bicycle paths and marathon courses.

In particular, securing ownership of the abandoned railway land is key to efficient development. Therefore, the plan proposed close business cooperation measures, including MOUs with the owners, the Korea National Railway Corporation and Korail.

The estimated cost for land acquisition necessary for the abandoned railway development is tentatively calculated at 270 billion KRW.

With the completion of the basic plan project on this day, Gyeongju City plans to establish urban management plans (maintenance) and development plans through consultations with the Korea National Railway Corporation and Korail.

Given the various stakeholders involved in utilizing the abandoned railway land, Gyeongju City intends to prioritize projects through citizen opinion gathering and proceed step-by-step.

Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju said, "The development of abandoned railway land is an important task to open a new millennium for Gyeongju. We will comprehensively review economic, cultural heritage, tourism, and landscape aspects and do our best to promptly promote the project to meet the expectations of the local economy and citizens."

According to a survey conducted last year to gather citizen opinions on the utilization of abandoned railway land, among 3,151 respondents, 63.7% wanted the Gyeongju Station site to be relocated to the city hall, and 65.3% of respondents favored the "urban forest creation project" that Gyeongju City is currently undertaking for the 2.5 km abandoned railway section from Dongcheon to Hwangseong.

Regarding specific plans, 24.3% of respondents favored utilizing the Donghae Nambu Line as a tourism resource, the highest percentage, while 20.5% preferred the Jungang Line to be developed as a park. Conversely, opinions favoring the use of these lines as transportation facilities were limited to 8.6% for the Donghae Nambu Line and 11.7% for the Jungang Line.

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