Yongsan-gu, Baekbeom-ro Undergrounding Project 추진

Subway Line 6 Hyochang Park Station to Former Yongsan-gu Office Intersection 400m Section... Completion Within the Year

Total Project Cost of 3.2 Billion KRW... District 1.73 Billion KRW, City 500 Million KRW, KEPCO & Telecom Companies 970 Million KRW

Removal of Utility Poles and Telecom Poles, Underground Installation of Electric and Communication Lines... Creating a Pleasant and Safe Environment

Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Park Hee-young) is advancing the ‘Baekbeom-ro Overhead Distribution Line Undergrounding Project’ to be completed by the end of the year.

Overhead distribution lines refer to electric wires fixed on utility poles. The tangled web of overhead wires and utility poles disrupts urban aesthetics, obstructs pedestrian movement, and poses risks such as fire and collapse, threatening citizen safety.

As of December 2022, Yongsan-gu’s undergrounding rate stands at 68%, somewhat higher than the city autonomous district average of 61.6%.

The district will invest approximately 3.2 billion KRW to remove utility poles and bury electric wires underground along a 400m section from Hyochang Park Station on Subway Line 6 (Baekbeom-ro 317) to the former Yongsan-gu Office intersection (Baekbeom-ro 329).

To this end, the district has secured 1.73 billion KRW in project funds, with the city contributing 500 million KRW and KEPCO and telecom companies covering the remaining 970 million KRW respectively.

The detailed construction plan includes ▲ removal of 16 utility poles ▲ undergrounding of electric and communication lines ▲ asphalt paving (43a) ▲ sidewalk paving (15a) ▲ installation of gutters and curbs (400m).

A district official explained, “The undergrounding project can only commence after KEPCO’s review, inspection, approval, and design are completed,” adding, “Close cooperation with telecom companies is also essential.”

The district signed agreements with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in March 2022 and with five telecom companies in May 2023, and began construction last month.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, “Due to rapid climate change, the natural environment has become harsher than before, causing severe aging of electric wires,” and added, “We will steadily promote overhead line maintenance and undergrounding to eliminate elements that make residents uneasy above their heads.”

Additionally, since 2013, the district has operated the ‘Overhead Line Maintenance Task Force’ with electric and communication service providers, maintaining 5,702 utility poles, 1,861 telecom poles, and 217 km of defective overhead lines in old residential alleys by 2022. This year, by November, they plan to clear 452 utility poles and 163 telecom poles in the Seogye-dong area.

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