President Lee Jae-myung said on the 6th at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nambu Inland Railroad, a high-speed railway (KTX) between the west and South Gyeongsang, that it would be remembered as a historic day that opened the way to region-led growth, moving away from capital area-centric growth that has reached its limit. The Nambu Inland Railroad is under construction with the goal of opening in 2030, and is a rail network that connects Geoje, South Gyeongsang, via Goseong County to Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang.
Attending the groundbreaking ceremony held in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, that day, Lee said this marks the beginning of a great national land transformation that breaks away from the single-pole system in which everything is concentrated in the capital area, links people and regions, consolidates opportunities, and creates regional growth engines. The ceremony, under the theme innovation that breaks the wall of time, achieving a two-hour range between Seoul and Geoje, began with Lee signing a railroad tie.
At the event, Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported on the background of promoting the Nambu Inland Railroad construction project, the project's characteristics, and its expected effects. Kim said the Nambu Inland Railroad will serve as core infrastructure supporting the growth of the super-regional belt dubbed 5 poles and 3 specials, adding, To minimize the impact on fisheries and the environment, we will build the Tongyeong–Geoje section as an undersea tunnel.
Local communities expect that consolidating Seoul and Geoje into a two-hour living zone will lead to revitalized tourism, strengthened industrial competitiveness, and expanded youth jobs. As travel time from Seoul to Geoje is reduced from the current four-hour range to 2 hours and 50 minutes, it has also been regarded as a long-cherished project for the PK (Busan–South Gyeongsang) region.
Cheong Wa Dae said the first shovel has been struck for Korea's great national land transformation, adding that it will serve as an opportunity to clearly demonstrate the government's commitment to balanced national growth. It also said, We will thoroughly manage the project so that the Nambu Inland Railroad can be completed as a successful national infrastructure model that drives super-regional growth.