Democratic Party Pledges 'Gangho Axis Railroad Network': "Gangneung to Mokpo in 4 Hours"

'Gangho Axis Joint Pledge Announcement' Held on May 19
Four Hours from South Jeolla to Gangwon by 2031

The Democratic Party of Korea announced on the 19th its pledge to establish the "Gangho Axis Railway Network," which will connect Gangwon Province, Chungcheong Province, and the integrated special city of Jeonnam-Gwangju without transfers.

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at the "Joint Announcement of Gangho Axis Railway Network Pledges" held at the National Assembly that morning, "It used to take nine hours to travel from Gangneung to Mokpo, but with this ambitious pledge from the Democratic Party, we aim to reduce that to about four hours or less. If the Gangho Axis is constructed as planned, it will enable a Korea where every corner of the country is accessible, a faster and more convenient Korea, and a nation where exchanges and communication are much more active."

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is explaining the high-speed rail plan connecting Gangneung and Mokpo at the "Joint Announcement of Gangho Axis Railway Network Pledges" held at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Gangho Axis is a railway network stretching from Gangneung in Gangwon Province, passing through Wonju, Chungju and Cheongju Airport in North Chungcheong Province, Iksan in North Jeolla Province, and Gwangju-Songjeong and Mokpo in South Jeolla Province. Once the double-track Cheonan–Cheongju Airport railway project is completed in 2030 and the high-speed upgrade of the Chungbuk Line is finished in 2031, the Gangho Axis Railway Network can be established around 2030–2031 by utilizing the KTX Eum. Han Jeongae, policy chief of the Democratic Party, explained, "If we leverage an operating speed of 260 km/h, the travel time between Mokpo and Gangneung could be reduced to as little as three and a half hours. Of course, various measures, such as improvements to the Chungbuk section, will need to be supplemented in the process."

Woo Sangho, the Gangwon Province gubernatorial candidate, stated, "This is truly a long-cherished project of 20 years. Since the Roh Moo-hyun administration, there has been a vision to form an east-west railway axis for balanced national development. The significance lies in the fact that the problem could be solved simply by connecting existing lines, not by building new ones, yet it has been neglected for so long."

Shin Yonghan, the North Chungcheong Province gubernatorial candidate, said, "For the people of Chungbuk, Democratic Party standing co-chairman Lee Si-jong, who achieved the legendary record of eight wins out of eight elections, personally named the Gangho Axis in 2014. Although the project was stagnant for a while, leader Jeong Cheongrae has now proactively reviewed existing plans and demonstrated a clear commitment to completion."

Min Hyeongbae, candidate for mayor of the integrated special city of Jeonnam-Gwangju, remarked, "There are more than 40 trains a day from Gwangju-Songjeong Station to Yongsan and Suseo stations, but to travel from Gwangju to Chuncheon, there is only one express bus per day. As a result, people, resources, and opportunities all flow toward Seoul. Now is the time to change the national flow and direction."

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