Title: Controversial Route Change for Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway Raises Questions
Introduction
The recent decision to change the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway has sparked controversy and raised concerns. While the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport denies any intention to alter the route, stating that it was a request from the local government, doubts have been raised regarding the validity of this claim. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong echoed similar sentiments during a recent CBS interview. However, evidence suggests that there was no specific request from Yangpyeong-gun regarding the route change. These discrepancies have led to skepticism surrounding the ministry’s explanation.
Yangpyeong-gun’s Position
According to a major business plan reported by the Yangpyeong Gun Office in February of this year, the proposed route for the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway remains the same as the original plan. The plan, prepared by the Road Division of the Yangpyeong-gun Urban Construction Bureau, outlined the project’s details, including a 27-kilometer route from Songpa-gu, Seoul to Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, with a total cost of 1,769.5 billion won. However, during the plenary session, there were no explanations or discussions about the expressway’s route change. County councilor Choi Yeong-bo expressed concern over the omission, suggesting that it may indicate a false report by Yangpyeong-gun. The local government explained that the original plan was reported as it remained undecided.
The Ministry’s Inconsistent Explanation
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has offered a slightly different explanation. It recently stated that it had reviewed the route change proposal in May of last year, following a suggestion from a feasibility study service company, before receiving Yangpyeong-gun’s official position. This contradicts the ministry’s claim that the route change was initiated at the request of Yangpyeong-gun. Consequently, doubts have been raised regarding the ministry’s explanation. This inconsistency further adds to the skepticism surrounding the decision to change the expressway’s route.
The Ministry’s Past Planning
Adding to the complexities of this issue, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport referenced the ‘Yangpyeong-gun 2030 Basic Plan’ as justification for the route change. However, officials from Yangpyeong-gun clarified that the plan was at a conceptual level with no specific intentions to change the route. Although the basic plan showed similarities to the current route change, it was based on a general population plan rather than any detailed proposal.
Unanswered Questions
The debate over the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway route change has left several unanswered questions. On multiple occasions, Yangpyeong-gun did not formally request a change in the end point of the highway. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport introduced the changed route in May of this year without consulting the majority of citizens or public officials. The core issue of the ‘reason for the route change’ remains unresolved, despite the ministry’s attempts to address the concerns. As this situation continues to unfold, it remains imperative to strive for transparency and ensure that the decision-making process is based on accurate information and inclusive dialogue to address the concerns of all stakeholders.
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Yangpyeong County Council’s 291st plenary meeting (2023.2.11)
Immediately after changing the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway became controversial, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that we did not intend to change it, but that there was a request from Yangpyeong-gun.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong also said the same.
CBS Interview ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ (2023.7.7)
▷ Minister Won Hee-ryong: Yetta goes to Yeta University. Then, another proposal can come out in the environmental impact assessment stage. If they had been in power, they would have done the same review right now. Because this is the consensus of the Yangpyeong gun community. How can we ignore local consensus? The only difference is who is in power.
Channel A Interview (2023.7.7)
▷ Minister Won Hee-ryong: This is what Yangpyeong-gun is asking for apart from the party, and a route with a larger population is also drawn up as an alternative, and opinions are gathered.
However, it was confirmed that there was no specific request for Yangpyeong-gun to send the opinion to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport twice in July last year and in February this year, to make the end of the highway next to the river. ‘.
Then, the explanation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was slightly different.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced for the first time yesterday (10th) that it had already reviewed the current route change proposal at the suggestion of a feasibility study service company (a private design company) in May last year, before accepting the position from Yangpyeong – I know.
If the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs is correct, the route change had already taken place in May last year, even before hearing Yangpyeong-gun’s official position.
This is why I am skeptical of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s explanation that the route change was promoted at the request of Yangpyeong-gun.
Data courtesy: Yangpyeong County Council Choi Yeong-bo, county councilor
Even until February this year, Yangpyeong-gun’s entrance is the ‘Wonan route’
Then, what was Yangpyeong-gun’s position?
On February 21 this year, KBS obtained a major business plan reported by the Yangpyeong Gun Office to the county council and examined the contents related to the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway.
This is a document prepared by the Road Division of the Yangpyeong-gun Urban Construction Bureau, which has been in charge of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway.
The location (project department) is Songpa-gu, Seoul ~ Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, the total length of the project is 27 km, and the cost of the project is 1,769.5 billion won, which is the same as the original plan.
Choi Yeong-bo, a county councilor who attended the plenary session, said in a phone call with KBS, “There were no explanations or questions at the time of the business report on the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway.”
He added, “A review discussion is underway with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but if it is deliberately omitted from the big business plan, it is a problem because Yangpyeong-gun is making a false report.”
Regarding this, an official from Yangpyeong-gun explained, “There was a discussion, but nothing was decided, so it was reported according to the original plan.”
Yangpyeong-gun sent only a short message to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on February 8 this year, before the county council’s business report, saying, “Please install an IC on the route that passes through Yangpyeong.” There was no request to change the route.
In summary, the official position of Yangpyeong-gun until February this year was the ‘original plan’ which passed preliminary feasibility, and there was no formal request to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to change the end point of the highway. .
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which brought out the basic plan even 5 years ago… Yangpyeong-gun “It’s just a conceptual level”
Then, in February 2018, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport added an explanation that the ‘Yangpyeong-gun 2030 Basic Plan’ planned by Yangpyeong-gun through public hearings has a similar path to the current change.
In fact, if you look at this basic plan, the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway route is connected to the Namyangpyeong IC, and it looks like the switch plan in a big way.
However, an official from Yangpyeong-gun explained, “The content contained in the basic plan is a conceptual level that it would be nice if roads in the area were based on the general population plan.”
■The expressway change plan was announced in May this year…so who made the change?
In summary, on July 18 last year, when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport asked Yangpyeong-gun for an opinion, Yangpyeong-gun presented three proposals for the first time on July 26. At that time, Yangpyeong-gun’s 2 proposals are similar to the current proposal.
However, even at this time, what Yangpyeong-gun presented to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as one plan was to add it to the north if only the IC (exchange) was strong on a route similar to the original plan.
When the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs asked for another opinion in February this year, Yangpyeong-gun also said, “Put IC on the highway route,” but did not ask for a change in the end point. This is also confirmed by the Yangpyeong gun business report reported to the county council.
On May 8 this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport unveiled the first changed highway route to the public, and a big debate arose from the end of June.
It is said that most citizens of Yangpyeong-gun as well as the majority of public officials did not know about the route change until the change was announced in May this year. There was no process such as public hearings or briefing sessions for residents.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has published its position several times in relation to this debate and held briefing sessions for reporters, but the question of the ‘reason for the route change’, which is the core of this issue, still remains not resolved.
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