Interest is growing in southern metropolitan Seoul over whether the roughly 5 trillion won Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway, which would link Seoul's Jamsil to Seongnam's Pangyo, Yongin's Suji, Suwon's Gwanggyo and on to Hwaseong's Bongdam, will be included in the 5th national railway network construction plan. Seongnam, Yongin, Suwon and Hwaseong, along with Gyeonggi Province, are making an all-out effort to have it included in the national railway network. However, after Gyeonggi Province recently declared a "financial emergency," a key question if the project moves forward in earnest is how to secure the local funds.
According to Gyeonggi Province and others on the 16th, the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway is envisioned as a 50.7-kilometer double-track line connecting from Seoul's Jamsil Sports Complex Station through Suseo and Pangyo, Yongin's Sinbong and Seongbok, and Suwon's Gwanggyo to Hwaseong's Bongdam. The estimated project cost is about 5.3 trillion won. If it opens as planned, the travel time from Bongdam to Jamsil is expected to be reduced to about 58 minutes.
The Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway is also a key transportation pledge that Governor Choo Mi-ae put forward during the campaign. However, whether it will be included in the national railway network has not yet been decided, and the route, station locations and project cost could change during implementation.
This line emerged as an alternative during a review of extending Seoul Subway Line 3 to southern Gyeonggi. Extending Line 3 directly would require relocating the Suseo rail yard or securing a replacement site. In response, Seongnam, Yongin, Suwon and Hwaseong prepared a plan to create an independent metropolitan rail line instead of extending Line 3.
A preliminary feasibility review jointly conducted by the four cities produced a benefit-cost ratio (B/C) of 1.2. A B/C above 1 indicates the benefits outweigh the costs and the project is economically viable. However, this is a preliminary review by local governments and may differ from the central government's preliminary feasibility study conducted after inclusion in the national plan.
Local governments are investing effort in the project because of the structure of the rail network in southern Gyeonggi. Existing lines such as the Shinbundang Line and the Suin-Bundang Line run mainly north-south, leaving a shortage of rail links running east-west to connect Pangyo, Suji, Gwanggyo and Bongdam. With much of the travel demand concentrating on cars and buses, major roads such as the Yongin–Seoul Expressway face repeated congestion during commuting hours.
Public demand is also strong. A Gyeonggi Province residents' petition calling for inclusion of the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway in the 5th national railway network construction plan surpassed 10,000 participants last month, becoming the first official residents' petition since Governor Choo took office. Last month, Governor Choo met with Minister Park Hong-geun of the Ministry of Planning and Budget and Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to ask for inclusion in the national plan.
The variable is local funds. On the 5th, Governor Choo declared a "financial emergency" for Gyeonggi Province, and on the 10th the province launched a task force (TF) for a strategy to overcome the fiscal crisis. Gyeonggi Province plans to reexamine the 2027 main budget from scratch within available resources and proceed with expenditure restructuring by ranking projects by priority instead of across-the-board cuts.
If the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway is included in the national railway network and passes the preliminary feasibility study and other steps, construction costs for the Gyeonggi section will in principle be split 70% central government funds and 30% local funds. The local share would be divided among Gyeonggi Province and the cities of Seongnam, Yongin, Suwon and Hwaseong, but the specific split would require separate consultations. As Gyeonggi Province has proposed 40 rail projects, including the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway, for inclusion in the national railway network, adjustments over project priorities and resource allocation appear inevitable.
Gyeonggi Province says it is too early to directly tie the current financial situation to advancing the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway. A Gyeonggi official said, "Even after inclusion in the national railway network, with the preliminary feasibility study, master plan and design, groundbreaking would be at least 7 to 8 years away," adding, "We have not specifically reviewed linking the timing of actual financial outlays with the current fiscal tightening." The official added, "We are working to ensure that rail projects proposed by Gyeonggi Province, including the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway, are reflected in the national railway network as much as possible."