Kim Hak-yeop, Incheon Seo-gu Councillor: “Delay in Direct Connection of Seoul Line 9, Residents' Pain at Critical Point… Active Administration Must Be Pursued”

Kim Hak-yeop, a member of the Incheon Seo-gu Council (People Power Party, Geomam-gyeongseo and Yeonhui-dong), strongly criticised the prolonged delay of the direct connection project between Seoul Subway Line 9 and the Airport Railroad, urging a proactive change in attitude from Incheon City, Seoul City, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

During the major work report of the Planning and Administration Committee held on the 3rd at the 278th extraordinary session, Councillor Kim addressed the inconveniences faced by residents due to the delay in the direct connection of Line 9, the efficiency of audit administration, and promotional measures related to the district separation.

In the policy planning work report, Councillor Kim pointed out, “It has been 15 years since the direct connection project of Line 9 was discussed, and despite the completion of infrastructure such as Yeongjong Station, it is still delayed,” adding, “It was expected that train orders would be placed last year, but there has been no progress.”

He continued, “Since the suspension of KTX services at Geomam Station, residents have been relying solely on the Airport Railroad, which is extremely congested during peak commuting hours, requiring multiple trains to be sent,” and urged, “Do not get caught up in the cost-benefit (BC) value alone, but collaborate with the political sector to expedite the project.”

Regarding audit administration, he emphasised the importance of ‘prevention’. Councillor Kim mentioned the audit results of the Dong Administrative Welfare Centre, stating, “The repetition of the same types of issues is due to a focus on post-event audits,” and suggested, “The overall departments by sector should lead and strengthen job training to prevent administrative errors in advance.”

Additionally, concerning the surge in civil complaints during the 2024 move-in period of Geomdan New Town, which has recently shown a decreasing trend, he urged the provision of tailored administrative services through civil complaint data analysis.

With the district separation of Seo-gu and Geomdan-gu scheduled for July, he also proposed suggestions for ‘enhancing brand value’. In the inquiry regarding promotional policies, Councillor Kim stated, “Although Seo-gu and Geomdan-gu will be separated, a promotional system that can create mutual synergy is necessary,” and suggested, “Let’s install large LED billboards in high-traffic areas such as Geomdan Intersection and Ara-dong to promote policies and enhance the value of the district.”

In response, a district official stated, “The installation of large billboards requires review of relevant laws and regulations, but as it is under consideration as per the mayor's directive, we will prepare an efficient promotional plan.”