Hwaseong mayor calls for swift push on central Korea express rail project

Hwaseong city officials attended a National Assembly forum Monday calling for the advancement of the Central Korea Express Railway, known as JTX, and pledged cooperation with local governments and lawmakers on the project.

The forum, held at the main conference room of the National Assembly members' office building, drew about 400 participants, including local lawmakers and representatives from seven municipalities — Hwaseong Special City, Gwangju, Anseong, Jincheon-gun, Cheongju and Yongin — as well as officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, academia, research institutions, media and civic groups.

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said the JTX project had faced some delays since being included in the Fourth National Railway Network Construction Plan, but expressed hope it would now move forward quickly. "With this express rail project linking Jamsil and Cheongju, we have regained momentum, and I hope it will be pushed forward without delay," he said.

Jeong added that Hwaseong strongly supports the project, noting that a branch line connecting Dongtan Station is also part of the plan. "We deeply support the need for this project," he said. "I am grateful to the lawmakers and relevant agencies who have worked hard to advance it, and we will continue to work closely with the local governments involved to ensure it moves forward at pace."

Hwaseong city sees the Central Korea Express Railway as more than a simple expansion of transport infrastructure, expecting it to serve as a major regional transit corridor linking the Greater Seoul area with the central inland region and significantly improving connectivity and accessibility between communities.