Residents Waiting for Buses in the Cold... Park Min-hyup, Yeonsu District Councillor, Urges Extension of Subway Line 8 in Songdo

Despite the rapid expansion of Songdo International City in Incheon, concerns have been raised that public transportation infrastructure is unable to keep pace. In particular, the inconvenience faced by residents of Songdo District 8, who are in a subway blind spot, has reached a peak, leading to increasing calls for the early commencement of the Incheon Subway Line 1 extension project.

Park Min-hyup, a councillor from the Yeonsu District Council (People Power Party, Songdo 2, 4, 5), strongly urged during the 5-minute free speech at the first plenary session of the 277th extraordinary meeting held on the 29th, stating, "It is urgent to pass the preliminary feasibility study for the Songdo District 8 extension project and to commence construction early."

In his remarks, Councillor Park stated, "Songdo is a representative metropolitan living area of Incheon, but the accessibility to the subway in District 8 is significantly lacking, seriously infringing on the mobility rights of residents," and criticised, "We can no longer ignore the contradictory reality where, while promoting an eco-friendly city, the reliance on vehicles increases due to public transportation inconveniences."

He went on to mention the tangible suffering experienced by residents. Councillor Park conveyed the voices from the field, saying, "Residents of District 8 have no nearby subway stations and are enduring long waits for buses with long intervals even in the freezing winter, continuing their exhausting commutes to and from work and school."

He also specifically addressed the economic ripple effects of the project. Councillor Park predicted, "The extension of Incheon Line 1 is not just a simple transportation improvement but a key to revitalising the old city centre and leading balanced development in Incheon," adding, "If it is linked with future metropolitan transportation networks such as KTX and GTX, it will greatly contribute to improving mobility in the metropolitan area as well as enhancing conditions for attracting businesses and activating human and material exchanges."

He called for an active role from the administrative authorities. Councillor Park demanded, "Ten years waiting for completion in 2035 is far too long for residents," urging, "Yeonsu District should proactively respond to ensure that early construction can take place ahead of other preliminary feasibility studies by closely consulting with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Incheon City."

Previously, Councillor Park played a leading role in having the project selected for preliminary feasibility study by delivering signatures from over 20,000 residents to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and visiting the Sejong City government office directly last April. He stated, "I will stand by the residents until the passing of the preliminary feasibility study and early completion becomes a reality."