Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju City, "Will Make Every Effort to Expand Transportation and Cultural Infrastructure"

Answers to City Administration Questions at the 1st and 2nd Plenary Sessions of the 310th Namyangju City Council Temporary Meeting
Mayor Joo Gwangdeok Emphasizes Maseok-Sangbong Shuttle Train as a Metropolitan Transportation Network Improvement Project
Plan to Build a 1,500-Seat Culture and Arts Center in Wangsuk 2 District... Targeting Completion in 2033

Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Gwang-deok) presented key policy directions through responses to city administration questions at the 1st and 2nd plenary sessions of the 310th Namyangju City Council temporary meeting held over two days on the 13th and 14th.

Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju City, is presenting the main policy directions through responses to administrative questions at the 1st and 2nd plenary sessions of the Namyangju City Council's temporary meeting. Provided by Namyangju City

Mayor Joo clearly stated the city’s position regarding the shuttle train project between Maseok and Sangbong, and specifically explained the plan to build the Namyangju City Culture and Arts Center, emphasizing the expansion of transportation and cultural infrastructure to enhance urban competitiveness.

First, on the 13th, Mayor Joo said, “The project executor is Korail, and the train manufacturing cost of 33.4 billion KRW is borne by LH, with production now completed. When the line opens in early May, the interval between trains will be shortened, improving transportation convenience for citizens.”

However, he clarified that although 12 additional runs during peak commuting hours are planned, the party responsible for the operating costs has yet to be decided, and Namyangju City is neither the project executor nor the funding party under the metropolitan transportation improvement plan.

Regarding recent criticisms in some communities that Namyangju City is passive about bearing operating costs, Mayor Joo requested citizens’ cooperation to ensure accurate information is conveyed, stating, “It is not appropriate for the city to bear the costs when there is no legal or contractual obligation.”

He also emphasized that this project is a national railway project aimed at improving the metropolitan transportation network including northeastern Gyeonggi and Seoul, not a project for a specific area, and stated, “We will spare no administrative support to ensure LH and Korail reach an agreement quickly and the line opens without delay.”

At the 2nd plenary session on the 14th, Mayor Joo responded to questions regarding the Culture and Arts Center construction, saying, “We plan to build a large-scale culture and arts center in the Wangsuk 2 district, including a 1,500-seat performance hall and exhibition space, to meet citizens’ cultural demands.”

To this end, the city secured approximately 25,000㎡ of land for cultural facilities in 2021 and has officially started the project this year aiming for completion in 2033, aligned with the development schedule of the Wangsuk New Town.

Mayor Joo added, “Since a total budget of about 320 billion KRW will be invested in this project, we are reviewing various methods such as private investment and donation of facilities to minimize the city’s financial burden,” emphasizing, “We will focus all administrative efforts on creating a cultural and arts city that citizens can take pride in.”

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