President Lee Jae-myung on the 20th ordered the resumption of construction on the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway, which had been halted over "route change suspicions." While the second comprehensive special counsel probe (Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young), which is currently investigating the unresolved allegations tied to the three special counsel cases (insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and Sgt. Chae), imposed an overseas travel ban on former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, who is at the center of the allegations, the president ordered the project to resume regardless of the investigation and political circumstances.
Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs at Cheong Wa Dae, said at a Cheong Wa Dae briefing that "the Lee Jae-myung administration has decided to resume the project to resolve inconveniences for local residents caused by delays in expressway construction," adding that the Ministry of Planning and Budget will draw up a plan in the first half of this year to provide budget support for resuming the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project.
In particular, the government said it will order a new feasibility study with a goal of breaking ground in 2029. The projected completion date is 2035. Hong said, "We will dispel the political controversy surrounding the project and push related procedures forward with speed," adding, "We will meet the aspirations of Yangpyeong residents and improve travel convenience for expressway users to resolve a long-pending project in the eastern Seoul metropolitan area."
The Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project was included in the first expressway construction plan in 2017 and began in earnest in Dec. of the following year as part of the "Hanam Gyosan New Town metropolitan transportation plan." It then underwent a preliminary feasibility study and a strategic environmental impact assessment. The project initially set a budget of 1.7695 trillion won, with a target of starting construction in 2025 and completing it in 2031. However, in June 2023, it was revealed during the review of an alternative route that the expressway's terminus had been changed from Yangseo-myeon to Gangsang-myeon. After that, a special counsel investigation began, and the project has been halted for nearly three years.
◇ Not by MOLIT but announced directly by Cheong Wa Dae… "considering the political nature"
Large-scale SOC (social overhead capital) construction issues such as expressways typically fall under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Cheong Wa Dae said it announced the resumption of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway construction directly because "this is not a simple economic project but a political one, and it is linked to improper work orders and a power-related scandal in the previous administration." It added, "Considering the political nature, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs is announcing it at Cheong Wa Dae, beyond MOLIT."
Some observers also link the issue to the Democratic Party of Korea's local elections. Rep. Han Jun-ho, a preliminary candidate for Gyeonggi governor, issued a statement on social media earlier in the day urging the resumption of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project as originally planned. In response, Hong said, "Democratic Party lawmakers, including Rep. Han Jun-ho, have worked for this project in the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, which has jurisdiction, and at yesterday's Democratic Party floor countermeasures meeting, chief deputy floor leader Chun Jun-ho also urged resumption," adding, "We took that into account, and since the review has been completed within the government and Cheong Wa Dae, we judged it would be good to announce within this week."