Residents Waiting for Buses in the Cold... Park Min-hyup, Yeonsu District Council Member, 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 up. 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 council member from the People Power Party representing Songdo Districts 2, 4, and 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, 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 criticized, "We can no longer ignore the contradictory reality where, despite promoting an eco-friendly city, the inconvenience of public transportation leads to increased dependence on vehicles."

He further mentioned the tangible suffering experienced by residents. 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, making their commutes and school runs exhausting."

He also specifically addressed the economic ripple effects of the project. Park predicted, "The extension of Incheon Line 1 is not just a simple transportation improvement but a key to revitalizing the old city and leading balanced development in Incheon," adding, "If it is linked with the metropolitan transportation network such as KTX and GTX in the future, 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. Park demanded, "The 10 years waiting for completion in 2035 is far too long for residents," and urged, "Yeonsu District should proactively respond to ensure that early construction can take place ahead of other preliminary feasibility study projects by closely consulting with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Incheon City."

Previously, Park played a leading role in getting the project selected for the preliminary feasibility study by delivering signatures from over 20,000 residents to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and visiting the government office in Sejong City 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."