Jo Seunghyun, Preliminary Gimpo Mayor Candidate: "Ensuring Public Interest and Safety Through Direct Management of Gimpo Gold Line"

Jo Seunghyun, a preliminary candidate for Gimpo mayor, has announced a pledge for the direct management of the Gimpo Gold Line.

Jo Seunghyun, a preliminary candidate for Gimpo mayor, is announcing a pledge to directly operate the Gimpo Gold Line on the 14th. Photo by Jo Seunghyun, preliminary candidate

On April 14, candidate Jo stated, "In order to resolve the congestion issue on the Gimpo Gold Line and to ensure the safety of both citizens and workers, I will push for a transition to a 'direct management system' in which the city of Gimpo takes full responsibility, moving beyond simple operational improvements."

In 2023, there was discussion about transitioning the Gimpo Gold Line to direct city management. However, it was ultimately decided to extend the private consignment contract by five years instead of switching to direct management.

Candidate Jo pointed out, "The inconvenience experienced by citizens currently using the Gimpo Gold Line goes beyond mere congestion and has resulted in physical danger and suffering. In such circumstances, insufficient management and supervision of the city's consignment operator have led to frequent breakdowns, increasing anxiety and distrust among citizens."

According to the Gimpo Urban Railway Branch of the KCTU Public Transport and Social Services Workers' Union, a total of 207 breakdowns and accidents occurred on the new trains of the Gimpo Gold Line between January 2025 and September 16, 2025, with 17 cases requiring train replacements due to the inability to continue normal operation.

Concerns have also been raised that certain cases, such as malfunctioning doors, brake system defects, mismatched wheel diameters, and issues related to auxiliary power units and transformers, could potentially lead to major accidents.

The union stated, "Despite poor equipment and insufficient budget, workers are persevering to protect citizen safety," adding, "If repair delays continue to occur, the possibility of a major accident cannot be ruled out."

Candidate Jo said, "The problems that have emerged under the private consignment system are not being addressed. Even when operations are entrusted to the private sector, the city is still responsible for managing and supervising citizen safety, but that role is currently not being fulfilled adequately."

He further emphasized, "We will secure at least a minimum level of public interest in railway operations and normalize the situation, and I will continue to push for a transition from the private consignment structure to a direct management system."

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