President Lee attends groundbreaking for Southern Inland Railway: "Seoul metropolitan area to Geoje in about two hours"

According to Financial News, President Lee Jae-myung attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Southern Inland Railway in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 6th. He officially marked the full-scale start of construction and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balanced national development.
The ceremony was held under the theme "Innovation that breaks the barrier of time: realizing a two-hour trip between Seoul and Geoje." It symbolized taking the first step on the future route where the Southern Inland Railway will run. About 400 people attended, including the minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the chair of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development, local government heads from South and North Gyeongsang Provinces, residents, and project officials, to mark the start of this major transformation of the national territory.
President Lee first signed a railroad sleeper, stressing that the Southern Inland Railway represents a national pledge to accelerate balanced regional growth. In his commemorative address, he emphasized that the project is the starting point of a major shift in the national territory that will overcome the limits of growth concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area and create new growth engines for the regions. He also urged that safety management be thorough throughout the entire construction process. Korea National Railway, the construction companies, and site managers are also set to hold a safety pledge ceremony, vowing to achieve an accident-free worksite.
President Lee then joined key dignitaries and local representatives in a groundbreaking ceremony. Local representatives included an elderly resident who had long hoped for the railway’s construction, a child who will grow together with the region’s future, and a shipbuilding worker representing Geoje. Through their participation, the event highlighted the symbolism of the Southern Inland Railway as a line that connects generations, industries, and regions.
The presidential office stated, "We expect this groundbreaking ceremony to clearly reaffirm our commitment to balanced national growth, and we will work to ensure that the Southern Inland Railway is developed into a successful national infrastructure model that drives growth across wider metropolitan regions."
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter