Yoon attends opening ceremony for new subway line

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol gives remarks during the opening ceremony for the Daegok-Sosa double track subway line in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, on June 30, 2023. (Yonhap)

Yoon-subway line

Yoon attends opening ceremony for new subway line

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday attended the opening ceremony for a new subway line connecting cities west of Seoul, renewing his pledge to shorten the commute to the capital for people living in the suburbs.

The ceremony was held at a stadium in Goyang, 18 kilometers northwest of Seoul, one day ahead of the opening of the Daegok-Sosa double track subway line connecting Goyang to Bucheon, 18 km southwest of the capital, via Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul.

Yoon celebrated the opening of the line during the ceremony, saying it will help bring vitality to the lives of nearby residents and the local economy, according to his office.

He also said he will do his best to fulfill his campaign pledge to reduce the commute between the capital area and Seoul to the 30-minute range, noting the planned opening of Great Train Express (GTX) commuter rail networks in the coming years.

The Daegok-Sosa line spans 18.4 kilometers and will shorten travel time from Goyang to Bucheon, via Seoul's Gangseo Ward, from 67 minutes to 19 minutes, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

In connection with other subway lines, residents in nearby areas will be able to commute to Seoul within around 30 minutes, it said.

Ahead of the ceremony, Yoon rode a subway train from Bucheon to Goyang together with local residents and merchants while talking with them for around 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, construction is also under way on two other western subway lines that, once completed in 2025, will enable passengers to travel from Goyang to South Chungcheong Province without transfers.

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