Four Seorak Region Cities and Counties Join Forces for Early Commencement of Dual Railways and Expressway Projects

Seorak Region Administrative Council Holds First Meeting of 2025
Discusses Mutual Growth Strategies for Dual Railways and Tourism Hub
Adopts Joint Statement on Early Commencement of Donghae Expressway Goseong Section Extension

The Seorak Region Administrative Council (Chairman: Byungson Lee, Mayor of Sokcho) held its first regular meeting of 2025 at Inje County Office on the 19th to discuss strategies for mutual growth.

Lee Byungsun, Chairman of the Seorak Regional Administrative Council (Mayor of Sokcho), is holding the first regular meeting of 2025 on the 19th at Inje County Office. Photo by Sokcho City

The Seorak Region Administrative Council is an administrative consultative body first established in 1975 for the mutual prosperity and joint development of the four cities and counties of the Seorak region (Sokcho, Inje, Goseong, and Yangyang). After its last regular meeting in 2008, the council was suspended, but it was relaunched in July last year as the need for cooperation among neighboring cities and counties emerged with the advent of the dual railway era (East-West High-Speed Railway and Donghae Northern Line).

The meeting was attended by Chairman Byungson Lee, Mayor of Sokcho; Choi Sanggi, Mayor of Inje; Jeon Cheolsu, Deputy Mayor of Goseong; and Tak Dongsoo, Deputy Mayor of Yangyang. National Assemblyman Lee Yangsoo, who represents the Sokcho, Inje, Goseong, and Yangyang constituencies, was also present.

A total of four agenda items for mutual cooperation were discussed: △ (Sokcho) Joint response for the timely completion of the dual railways; △ (Inje) Creation of a Seorak region tourism hub; △ (Goseong) Early commencement of the extension of the Donghae Expressway Goseong section; and △ (Yangyang) Joint response to grant the authority for minimum zoning changes within the station area development zone.

Among these, the joint response for the timely completion of the dual railways (Sokcho) and the joint response to grant the authority for minimum zoning changes within the station area development zone (Yangyang) are new proposals from Sokcho and Yangyang, respectively. If delays are anticipated due to issues such as land compensation and lack of construction budget for the dual railways, joint visits to central government ministries will be considered. In addition, a proposal will be made to grant special provisions unique to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, allowing local governments to change zoning within station areas.

The new agenda item from Inje, the "Seorak Region Tourism Hub Project," aims to create a Seorak region trail connecting the four cities and counties and to establish a unified tourism brand.

The council agreed to pursue these agenda items through close cooperation.

The Seorak Region Administrative Council held its first regular meeting of 2025 on the 19th at Inje County Office. Photo by Sokcho City

In particular, Goseong's agenda item, "Early Commencement of the Extension of the Donghae Expressway Goseong Section," focuses on conducting a preliminary feasibility study in 2026 for the 43.5-kilometer Sokcho-Goseong section of the Donghae Expressway, which has faced a 27-year delay, and prioritizing the implementation of the 25.5-kilometer Sokcho-Ganseong section. The council adopted and sent a joint statement to the Minister of Economy and Finance and agreed that all four cities and counties would continue to respond together.

Byungson Lee, Mayor of Sokcho, stated, "In an era facing the crises of low birth rates, population aging, and regional extinction, we must break down the barriers between cities and counties and actively cooperate to achieve our shared goal of improving residents' quality of life. With the opening of the dual railways ushering in a new era of seamless land, sea, and air connectivity for the Seorak region, we will do our utmost to ensure that the Seorak region grows together as a core area of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and, ultimately, of Korea as a whole."

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