Construction of the Hongcheon-Yongmun railway — a 34.2-kilometer single-track line running from Yongmun-myeon in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, to Hongcheon-gun in Gangwon Province — is on the verge of breaking ground.
The two local governments recently held a ceremony to mark their commitment to an early start on construction.
The total project cost is 1.1 trillion won ($777 million), with the central government covering 769.5 billion won (70%) and local governments sharing the remaining 330 billion won (30%). The local share will be split roughly equally among Gangwon Province, Gyeonggi Province, Hongcheon-gun and Yangpyeong-gun, with each contributing about 82.5 billion won.
To get ahead of its funding obligations, Hongcheon-gun enacted an ordinance on May 27 establishing a railway construction fund. Starting with 5 billion won this year, the county plans to accumulate a total of 90 billion won by 2032 to ensure its share of local costs is fully covered.
Beyond fiscal preparation, the county also plans to take a proactive stance against potential delays caused by slow inter-agency coordination during the project.
A four-party working group — comprising the two provinces and two counties — will be set up to hold ongoing consultations on key issues including the route alignment and cost-sharing arrangements. A separate collaborative framework linking the National Assembly, provincial governments and the Gangwon Research Institute will be established to handle follow-up administrative procedures swiftly.
The Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railway was selected as a preliminary feasibility study candidate in 2024 and cleared the study in December 2025. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is now conducting a feasibility assessment and basic planning study.
"The Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railway is a core growth project that will transform Hongcheon's future," Hongcheon-gun Mayor Shin Young-jae said. "We will proactively secure local funding and strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies to ensure the project is not delayed by fiscal or administrative hurdles, and we will make sure it breaks ground and opens to service as early as possible."
Hongcheon-gun also plans to develop a phased regional growth strategy tied to the railway, including transit-oriented development around stations, so that the line's opening translates into tangible economic benefits for the area.
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