42% of Idle Land Along Gyeongin Line Illegally Occupied and Neglected... Assemblyman Heo Jong-sik Urges Use for Resident Convenience Facilities

About 42% of the idle land along the Gyeongin Line in the Incheon section (Incheon Station to Bugae Station) has been found to be either illegally occupied or neglected. Accordingly, there are calls for systematic utilization plans, such as expanding convenience facilities around the railway area.

On the 4th, Heo Jong-sik, a member of the Democratic Party representing Dong-gu Michuhol-gu Gap in Incheon, held a press conference at Incheon City Hall and stated, "I propose that Incheon City establish a utilization plan to use the idle land along the Gyeongin Line as assets to expand convenience facilities in the old downtown area."

Heo’s office analyzed data received from the Korea National Railway Corporation and disclosed the usage status of the idle land in the Incheon section of the Gyeongin Line. Of the total 21,821㎡ (219 parcels) of idle land, 12,632㎡ (96 parcels) had usage permits, while the remainder consisted of 6,567㎡ (116 parcels) of illegal occupation and 2,622㎡ (7 parcels) of unused or neglected land.

Some areas near soundproof walls have worsened the urban environment due to illegal dumping of garbage, and the land used by public and private sectors is being utilized inconsistently as parking lots, shops, and storage yards, which lowers land efficiency. Accordingly, Heo emphasized the need to establish policies that integrate railway idle land with living SOC (Social Overhead Capital) to expand citizen convenience facilities lacking in the old downtown, such as parking lots, parks, and green spaces.

Currently, seven sites totaling 2,622㎡ are available for immediate use, and if these are used as parking lots, it is expected to provide more than 200 parking spaces for citizens. Railway idle land is national property, and when used by private entities, competitive bidding is required; however, local governments can enter into private contracts at prices lower than bidding.

Another reason Heo focused on railway idle land is that it could affect the Gyeongin Line undergrounding project. For this project, a land use plan including the railway’s upper land and surrounding idle land must be established, and experts agree that proactive maintenance of illegally occupied land is essential.

Heo said, "Utilizing railway idle land can maximize citizens’ policy efficacy with minimal cost," adding, "Revitalizing the old downtown starts with implementing small policies to improve citizens’ quality of life before large-scale projects requiring enormous budgets."

Democratic Party of Korea Representative Heo Jong-sik

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