Agreement reached to protect students' right to learn, commute safety and residents' living environment
Guri city said Friday that an on-site coordination meeting related to the GTX-B construction project, held at Inchang Elementary School under the auspices of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, produced an agreement to protect students' right to learn, their commuting safety and the living environment of nearby apartment residents.
The coordination aimed to address concerns over potential harm to the educational environment around the school, commuting safety issues and infringement on the residential environment of nearby residents during GTX-B construction. Through mediation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, a final agreement was reached among stakeholders including resident and parent representatives, Guri city, Korea National Railway, the Guri Police Station, the Guri-Namyangju Office of Education and Inchang Elementary School.
The section in question is where the GTX-B line merges with the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. Residents and parents had raised concerns because land just 15 meters from an apartment complex is being incorporated into the project, and the school's nature learning garden — a green space known as Inchang Aesup — along with a student commuting route, falls within the construction zone. Protecting students' right to learn, securing a safe commuting environment and preserving residents' quality of life became the central issues of the coordination.
The agreement includes commitments to improve residents' living environment after construction is complete — such as creating green spaces and rest areas, installing walkways and sidewalks, upgrading noise barriers and restoring Inchang Aesup — as well as specific measures to ensure safe student commuting during construction, including securing a dedicated alternative route and deploying safety personnel.
Guri Mayor Shin Dong-hwa said the city would exhaust every administrative effort to protect the right to learn of students at Inchang Elementary School — which has a 106-year history — secure safe commuting routes and safeguard the daily lives and residential environment of apartment residents living just 15 meters from the construction site. Shin added that the city would actively cooperate with relevant agencies to ensure the agreed measures are carried out without disruption.
Shin also said that despite contributing about 37 billion won ($27.6 million) toward the GTX-B construction project, Guri has no station stop within city limits. Shin said the city had formally requested the active cooperation of Korea National Railway and other relevant agencies to ensure an additional GTX-B stop at Galmaeyeok Station is realized, in the interest of transportation equity between regions and improved transit convenience for residents.
Guri city said it plans to continue cooperating with relevant agencies to ensure the agreed measures are implemented without disruption, and to actively work toward creating a safe commuting environment for students and a comfortable residential environment for residents. The city also said it will press ahead with efforts to improve regional transit conditions, including securing an additional GTX-B stop at Galmaeyeok Station.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
