By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Politicians and the heads of regional governments raised the need to establish a new railway between the country's eastern and western industrial cities for economic synergy and regional unity at a conference Tuesday.
History and politics have long divided the eastern Youngnam and the western Honam regions, but this could change with the East-West railway, according to some 200 lawmakers, mayors and scholars participating in the event held at the National Assembly.
In particular, lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties voiced bipartisan views on the necessity of the project.
``Korea's existing major railway infrastructure have focused on a North-South connection," said Chung Dong-young, referring to the case of the Gyeongbu KTX, a high-speed railway running from Seoul to the southern port city of Busan. ``The East-West line will make an important contribution to the reconciliation of the two regions." he added.
The independent lawmaker, who represents a Jeonju district in North Jeolla Province, is one of the co-organizers of the conference with Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, from Gimcheon, of the governing Grand National Party (GNP).
``Misunderstanding and hostility between the peoples of the two regions is in part due to a lack of exchange through mutual visits and communication," said Lee.
``In the future, linking the east and west will become an important transportation policy objective," said Chung Jong-hwan, minister of land, transport and maritime affairs.
The project involves the building of a new 261.7-kilometer railway from Daegu, a large industrial city in the Gyeongsang region, to the Samangeum development area in North Jeolla Province. Major stops will include Gimcheon, Muju and Jeonju, among others lining the East-West industrial belt of the nation.
Ultimately, the railway will provide a direct connection between two major free economic zones currently being constructed in Daegu and Samangeum areas.
Daegu and Gimcheon have already established a 72.5-kilometer rail connection. New railways would be constructed to cover the 140.4-kilometer distance between the Samangeum-Gunsan and Jeonju-Gimcheon sections, according to a blueprint by Prof. Kim Dong-seon of the Department of Urban Engineering at Daejin University in Gyeonggi Province.
``Extending the existing Daegu-Gimcheon line all the way to the Jeolla provinces will fuel economic growth for both regions," said Kim.
The mayors of the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions asked the government to take a more forthcoming approach to building the railway.
``We urge the government to start considering the East-West railway as an important policy consideration," said Mayor Park Bo-saeng of Gimcheon in North Gyeongsang Province.