Mayor lobbies National Assembly on public agency relocation, bypass road, light-rail underground project

A route map for the proposed National Road 2 bypass in Suncheon. [Suncheon City]
A route map for the proposed National Road 2 bypass in Suncheon. [Suncheon City]

Suncheon Mayor Son Hun-mo, who took office in July, has been making the rounds at the National Assembly to secure state funding for the city's key pending projects as budget season gets underway.

According to Suncheon City, Son met with Rep. Yoo Eui-dong, chairman of the National Assembly's Land and Transport Committee, and Rep. Jang Gyeong-tae on Wednesday to outline the city's priorities for future growth and ask for their support in securing national budget allocations and reflecting the projects in government plans.

The city's key agenda items include the relocation of second-round public institution transfers to Suncheon, construction of a National Road 2 bypass linking Sinan to Busan along the east-west corridor, traffic network improvements in the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone, confirmation and early ground-breaking of an underground route for the urban section of the Gyeongjeon Line electrification project, and designation of a national industrial complex for advanced future materials to be pursued jointly with Gwangyang.

Son also called for the transfer of public institutions in the environment, energy and cultural tourism sectors to Suncheon as part of efforts to promote balanced national development and strengthen the competitiveness of the region's core industries.

He said the smooth progress of the National Road 2 bypass must be accompanied by the addition of a new grade-separated interchange at Maean IC to handle the expected increase in traffic from developments including the Seonwol district in Haeryong-myeon, where a Costco Suncheon store site is planned.

"These projects, on which Suncheon's future depends, are core initiatives to strengthen the city's long-term growth foundation and a national task to raise the competitiveness of the eastern part of the proposed South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city," Son said.


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