Daegu, Gwangju chambers call for swift approval of Dalbit Railway feasibility exemption

The Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry have joined forces to push for the swift construction of the Dalbit Railway, a flagship project for cooperation between the Yeongnam and Honam regions.

The two chambers held the 13th Dalbit Economic Exchange Council in Gwangju on Wednesday and issued a joint statement calling on the government to promptly confirm an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the Dalbit Railway construction project.

The council meeting was attended by 16 board members from both organizations, including Daegu chamber President Park Yun-gyeong and Gwangju chamber President Han Sang-won, who discussed ways to boost regional economies and promote balanced national development.

Immediately after the meeting, the two chambers issued a joint statement calling on the government to finalize the feasibility exemption without delay and to swiftly carry out follow-up administrative procedures. The chambers said the government must proceed without disruption on subsequent steps — including drawing up a master plan, completing design work and securing a budget — and present a concrete project timeline as soon as possible.

The chambers also said the Dalbit Railway is more than a simple expansion of the transportation network, describing it as critical infrastructure linking east-west harmony between the Yeongnam and Honam regions and connecting the economies of the southern part of the country. They said the government should expand connecting transport networks centered on the railway and strengthen cooperation in industry, logistics and tourism to lay the groundwork for balanced national development.

"The Dalbit Railway is the essential foundation for expanding exchanges between Yeongnam and Honam, connecting the industrial capabilities of both regions and injecting new vitality into the southern economy," Park and Han said in a joint statement. "The government must meet the expectations of residents and the business community by swiftly confirming the feasibility exemption and moving quickly on follow-up procedures."

Meanwhile, the Dalbit Economic Exchange Council traces its origins to a 1998 visit by Gwangju chamber delegates to the Daegu chamber. Since its official launch in 2018, the council has worked to coordinate joint responses to regional economic issues and expand economic cooperation between the Yeongnam and Honam regions.