“서울에서 기차타고‘해남·완도 거쳐’제주가자” 고속철도 유치 국회토론회

Title: "Discussion Held for Seoul-Jeju High-Speed Railway Passing through Haenam and Wando" Abstract: A national parliamentary discussion was held at the National Assembly Library on the 17th to promote the inclusion of the Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway project in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. The event aimed to create public consensus for this major national project. Haenam and Wando were highlighted as key locations for national balanced development and revitalization of the southwestern region. Park Ji-won, a National Assembly member, emphasized during the opening speech that the Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway construction is a core national project for national balanced development and improvement of transportation convenience in Jeollanam-do's southwestern region. He also mentioned that this high-speed railway would be a "path to equality" between the metropolitan area and the provinces and a "path to mutual growth" connecting Jeju tourism and the coastal marine tourism in the southern sea. During the discussion, various experts from different fields, such as Kim Si-gon, professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Kwak Jae-ho, head of the Korea Railroad Research Institute, Yoon Tae-ho, professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, and An Jong-bae, chairman of the Jeju World Future Development Forum, participated and discussed the necessity and feasibility of the Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway passing through Haenam and Wando. The Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway project is a massive national project with an estimated total cost of 27 trillion won. Jeju International Airport experiences around 1,500 flight cancellations annually due to weather conditions, leading to the need for an alternative transportation network. However, this project has not been included in national plans due to its high cost and opposition from Jeju Island. Haenam County has been actively pursuing the high-speed railway project since last year by forming a task force and visiting relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Railroad Corporation, and the Korea Transport Institute. The county emphasizes the need for this project to improve living conditions due to population influx and contribute to national balanced development. In February last year, Haenam County, along with Wando County and Yeongam County, submitted a joint proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport requesting the inclusion of the Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway passing through Haenam in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan. Hae-nam County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan expressed his belief that the Seoul-Jeju high-speed railway would significantly improve the transportation infrastructure and stimulate the local economy and tourism in Haenam and Wando. He also mentioned that the inclusion in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan is a significant step forward for the development of Jeollanam-do's southwestern region.