Forum set for Nov. 13 at Seoul construction hall; survey available via Korail+ app and QR codes at major stations
As competition among local governments to secure rail routes heats up, a public forum will be held ahead of the finalization of South Korea's fifth national railway network construction plan.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Sunday that it will hold a public opinion-gathering event on the morning of Nov. 13 at the Korea Specialty Construction Association Hall in Seoul, under the theme "A Railway Transformation Connecting the New Korea's Tomorrow."
The fifth railway network plan is the top-tier statutory blueprint governing rail investment from 2026 to 2035. Local governments and related agencies have submitted requests for more than 300 routes worth over 600 trillion won ($447 billion) to be included in the plan, according to the ministry. Interest in the final version has grown as its release has been delayed by more than a year. The fourth plan covered new rail projects worth about 43 trillion won.
The event, hosted by the ministry and organized by the Korea Transport Institute, was arranged to gather a wide range of views from the public, local governments and experts ahead of the plan's establishment and official announcement.
The ministry has been reviewing proposals submitted by local governments and other bodies for the fifth plan, examining each project's function and role in the national rail network, projected future transport demand, the need for construction in connection with regional development, and project feasibility. Through the forum, the ministry plans to collect opinions on key priorities — including linkages with the three major mega-projects and other national industries, expansion of the rail network to support housing supply, and improvements to urgent bottleneck sections — as well as on the overall need for rail investment, with the aim of strengthening the plan.
At the event, the Korea Transport Institute will present the vision and goals of the fifth railway network plan for transitioning to a rail-centered transport system over the next 30 years. It will also outline the role of railways in responding to changes in population and industrial structure, and the need for medium- to long-term investment to support South Korea's broader transformation and future transport innovation.
Local governments will represent residents' calls for expanded rail networks and explain key projects and their expected benefits for each region.
An expert panel discussion will bring together specialists in transport and land use, as well as civic groups, to debate the future role of railways, the necessity and appropriate scale of rail investment, effects on balanced regional development, and ways to improve related systems including the preliminary feasibility study regime.
To allow the public to submit opinions directly, a pre-event survey will run alongside on-site and online opinion collection on the day of the forum. A live online stream will also be available through the ministry's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
The pre-event survey runs from Sunday through Nov. 13. Participants can share their views on the level of rail service in their area and the direction of future investment through the ministry's website, the integrated app Korail+, and QR codes installed at major rail stations including Seoul and Suseo stations.
Kim Tae-byeong, director general of the ministry's Railway Bureau, said the rail network must look beyond today's travel convenience to anticipate and prepare for the next 30 years of people's lives and regional development. "We will faithfully incorporate the voices of the public and local communities into the plan," Kim said.
smh@heraldcorp.com
