Preliminary Nam District Mayor Candidate Hwang Kyunga Welcomes Construction of Underpass Road at Daechon IC on Gwangju–Gangjin Expressway

A Pivotal Turning Point for the Development of the Daechon Area

Hwang Kyunga, Gwangju Namgu District Mayor Preliminary Candidate. Provided by Preliminary Candidate Hwang Kyunga

Hwang Kyunga, preliminary candidate for Mayor of Nam District, Gwangju from the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on March 9, "I wholeheartedly welcome the ongoing construction of the underpass connecting road at Daechon IC (interchange) on the Gwangju–Gangjin Expressway, which is scheduled for completion by December this year." She added, "The opening of this interchange is expected to mark a significant turning point for the development of the Daechon area, which has long been marginalized in terms of transportation."

Hwang Kyunga explained, "On March 6, during the opening ceremony of my campaign office, I heard from National Assembly member Jung Jinwook (Gwangju Dongnam-gap) about the news that the underpass connecting road at Daechon Interchange will open within this year." She welcomed the development, saying, "With the establishment of the Daechon Interchange and the underpass road, not only will the logistics competitiveness of Nam District's Urban High-Tech Industrial Complex and the Energy Valley Industrial Complex be strengthened, but transportation convenience for local Daechon residents will also be greatly improved."

The construction of the underpass connecting road in the area of Daechon Interchange (Daechon IC), as part of the Gwangju–Gangjin Expressway project, is a pivotal initiative that will transform the traffic flow in the southern part of Gwangju. This project is directly linked not only to improving the efficiency of expressway entry and exit, but also to enhancing the logistics competitiveness of the neighboring Energy Valley Industrial Complex.

The core of the current plan is to expand the network that smoothly connects the expressway mainline with local surface roads, linking Pyeongdong, Seungchon, and Daechon.

Daechon IC will serve as the gateway to the Gwangju Energy Valley Industrial Complex. Once the underpass road is completed, the travel time from the industrial complex to the expressway will be reduced by more than 10–15 minutes compared to the current situation. In addition, improved access to the Seohaean Expressway and the Namhae Expressway is expected to significantly cut logistics costs for companies located in the industrial complex.

Additionally, the Daechon area previously had many narrow roads with only one or two lanes in each direction, raising concerns about potential bottlenecks after the expressway opens. However, once the underpass connecting road is completed, it will help divert traffic flow from National Route 1 (from Naju to Gwangju), offering indirect relief for chronic congestion areas such as the Hyocheon District and the vicinity of Baegun Square.

Candidate Hwang Kyunga stated, "The underpass road at Daechon IC will not only serve as a route for expressway access, but also act as a driving force for expanding the economic landscape of southern Gwangju." She projected, "Daechon, previously a transportation-marginalized area, will experience a new phase of development."

Hwang Kyunga, a three-term member of the Nam District Council in Gwangju, currently serves as the Women's Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's Gwangju City Chapter. She has also held key positions such as former Chair of the Nam District Council and current Vice Chair of the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, devoting herself to the development of Gwangju and Nam District.

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