At ground-breaking ceremony for Unjeong Station extension project
Paju city held a ground-breaking ceremony Friday for the Seohae Line Unjeong Station extension project at Unjeong Station.
About 100 people attended, including Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan, Assembly members Yun Hu-deok and Park Jeong, Paju City Council Speaker Choe Yu-gak, provincial and city council members, officials from Korea National Railway and Korail, and local residents.
The project will extend the Seohae Line — currently terminating at Ilsan Station — by 5.3 kilometers to Unjeong Station. After the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed the project in January 2024, the city signed a consignment agreement with Korea National Railway and Korail, completed the detailed design and other administrative procedures, and has now begun full-scale construction.
The Seohae Line connects with 14 other metropolitan rail lines and is expected to significantly strengthen links between the southwestern Greater Seoul area — including Seoul, Incheon and Bucheon — and the Chungcheong region, including South Chungcheong Province and Hongseong. Travel time to Gimpo Airport, which currently takes about 90 minutes by bus, is expected to fall to under 30 minutes once the rail connection is in place, greatly improving convenience for residents.
"The Seohae Line is the driving force behind Paju's future growth and the first step in a major transport revolution," Mayor Son said. He added that the city would focus all its administrative resources on expanding the rail network, including extending Subway Line 3, the GTX-H, a KTX extension to Paju, and the Tongillo Line project.
The city plans to work closely with relevant agencies and contractors throughout construction to ensure the project proceeds without disruption and to manage any inconvenience to residents systematically.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
