Uiwang extension of Wirye-Gwacheon line among key requests
Uiwang Mayor Kim Seong-je met with Hong Ji-seon, second vice minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at the National Land Development Exhibition Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Friday, urging the government to actively support key rail network projects in the city.
At the meeting, Kim explained that the proposed extension of the Wirye-Gwacheon line to Uiwang serves as a critical rail corridor directly linked to major government housing supply projects — including the Uiwang-Gunpo-Ansan third-generation new town — and asked the government to include the line in the Fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan.
Kim said the line, already reflected in Gyeonggi Province's basic railway plan, could serve as a key connecting axis completing the southern Greater Seoul rail network by linking up with government-led wide-area rail projects such as the Dongtan-Indeokwon line and the GTX-C line.
Kim also called for the addition of a new stop at Woram Station on National Highway No. 1, citing rising transport demand from surrounding development projects including the Woram public housing district and the need to improve transit access for local residents.
Kim pressed for the establishment of a new Wanggok Station on the Dongtan-Indeokwon line, saying it was essential to handle growing wide-area transport demand and strengthen inter-district connectivity from nearby development projects such as the Ojeon-Wanggok district. He noted that Uiwang had consistently raised the need for the station since the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport first announced the Ojeon-Wanggok public housing district development project.
Kim also outlined a plan to underground Uiwang Station and develop the surrounding area as a mixed-use complex. He described the project as a way to ease the urban divide caused by above-ground rail infrastructure and mitigate the community impact of the Uiwang Inland Container Depot, while creating a future-oriented urban space on the reclaimed rail site, and asked that it be incorporated into the government's comprehensive plan for integrated underground rail development.
"Uiwang has actively cooperated to ensure that national housing supply projects proceed smoothly — including the Uiwang-Gunpo-Ansan third-generation new town and the Cheongye 2, Gocheon, Chopyeong, Woram, and Ojeon-Wanggok districts," Kim said. "For these large-scale development projects to translate into genuine local growth and a livable urban environment that residents can feel, a dense rail network that effectively connects the city is absolutely essential."
He added that the rail lines Uiwang needs "are not simply a long-held local wish, but the infrastructure required for the future transport competitiveness of southern Greater Seoul and the success of national housing policy," and again urged the government to provide active support.
In response, Vice Minister Hong said the ministry was in discussions with relevant agencies and institutions on expanding the rail network in connection with various national development projects, and that it would "closely examine at the working level" the major rail projects proposed by Uiwang, including the Wirye-Gwacheon line extension.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
