The 'Gyeongbu Line Railway Underground Promotion Council (hereafter, Council)' formed by seven local governments in the metropolitan area jointly requested the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea Central Election Countermeasure Committee on the 16th to adopt the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line from Seoul Station to Dangjeong Station as a pledge for the 21st presidential election.
The council includes Yongsan-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Dongjak-gu, Guro-gu, Geumcheon-gu in Seoul, as well as Gunpo City and Anyang City in Gyeonggi Province. The northernmost first station that the council urged for undergrounding is Seoul Station, located in Yongsan-gu, while the southernmost last station, Dangjeong Station, is in Gunpo City.
The council explained that since the Gyeongbu Line opened in 1904, it has penetrated the metropolitan area north and south for over 120 years, causing disconnection in the urban areas. Residents have suffered from noise and vibration damage, and issues of aging surrounding residential environments and urban aesthetics have been continuously raised.
The government enacted the 'Railway Underground Integrated Development Act' in January of last year to support the comprehensive development of railway facilities, and in February announced three areas, including Busan, Daejeon, and Ansan in Gyeonggi Province, as priority projects for railway undergrounding. The metropolitan area section will have specific plans formulated after additional consultations with local governments.
Since its establishment in 2012, the council has promoted a joint service for the basic plan of undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line from Seoul Station to Dangjeong Station and has engaged in discussions with relevant agencies to ensure that the undergrounding is reflected in the fourth national railway network construction plan.
Park Hee-young, the head of Yongsan District Office and chair of the council, noted that "the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line is a national task that goes beyond relocating the tracks underground to changing the future urban structure of the metropolitan area" and expressed hope that innovative transportation infrastructure for future generations will be realized as soon as possible.