[경기도 National Audit] Kim Dong-yeon "Insist on Original Plan for Yangpyeong Expressway, Never Agreed to Change"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is responding to questions related to the Yangpyeong Expressway during the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's national audit of Gyeonggi Province held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 17th.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon reaffirmed his stance on maintaining the original plan for the 'Yangpyeong Expressway' and stated that Gyeonggi Province has never agreed to the proposed changes. He also emphasized that the political and media suspicions regarding the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's push for the alternative plan are understandable.

On the 17th, during the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office, Governor Kim responded to a question from Moon Jin-seok, a member of the Democratic Party representing Cheonan City Gap, Chungnam, saying, "There is no change in the position to stick to the original plan for the Yangpyeong Expressway."

Regarding Moon's claim that "the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says the alternative plan has a higher B/C (Benefit-Cost ratio) than the original, but it seems like they are deliberately stirring up a B/C debate," Kim said, "I don't know their intention, but this issue should not be argued over whether the B/C is higher by 0.1 or 0.01; we should focus on the goal of the road construction."

He added, "The goal of constructing the Yangpyeong Expressway should align with the original purpose and the project should proceed swiftly. The preliminary feasibility study was passed after great difficulty, and for 14 years since 2008, no alternative to the original plan has ever been proposed. The suspicions about who, why, and how the original plan was changed must be resolved," raising his voice.

When asked by Choi Ki-sang, a Democratic Party member representing Geumcheon District, Seoul, whether Gyeonggi Province agreed to the Ministry's alternative plan for the Yangpyeong Expressway, Governor Kim replied, "We have never agreed to the alternative plan."

He also expressed concern, saying, "As the alternative plan emerged, the issue has turned into a political dispute. As governor, solving transportation in northeastern Gyeonggi is the biggest issue, but if the alternative plan continues to be pushed, suspicions will only grow, and prompt progress will be difficult."

Furthermore, he argued, "The alternative plan changes the terminus and alters 55% of the route. There is even a possibility that the preliminary feasibility study will need to be redone, which clearly means this project will be dragged on for a very long time. For faster progress, it is urgent to proceed with the original plan."

In response to a question from Kang Byung-won, a Democratic Party member representing Eunpyeong District, Seoul, about the political and media suspicions, Governor Kim said, "It is natural."

Regarding questions about Minister Won Hee-ryong's remarks on completely scrapping the project, he criticized, "If I may say, for a project that has been underway for 14 years through preliminary feasibility studies and government policy decision processes involving related agencies, for the minister to suddenly decide to scrap it one day causes chaos in national governance."

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