Participants in a symposium on the theme of “New Railroad Policies toward 

Railroad Welfare and Unification held on Feb. 10 in the basement of

 the National Assembly Library in Yeouido, Seoul, organized by Rep. 

Cho Hyun-ryong, a member of the National Assembly  Land and 

Transportation Committee.(Photo:Rep. Cho Hyun-ryong’s office:article by CS Oh).

By Oh Chung-sook

Rep. Cho Hyun-ryong of the Land and Transportation Committee of the National Assembly jointly with the Korea Railroad Construction Council, Korea Railroad Construction Association, and the Korea Railroad Installation Association held a symposium on 2014 New Rail Policies Toward Railroad Welfare and Unification in the basement of the National Assembly Library on Feb. 10.

The symposium got underway with Rep. Cho’s opening speech followed by Rep. Yoon Jin-shik’s keynote speech. Various experts on railroad from the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport and the related railroad organizations participated in the intensive debates that followed on the theme of “Rational Promotion and Execution of New Railroad Construction Plans and Guidelines for Realization.” Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Rep. Lee Byung-suk; Rep. Choo Seung-yong, chairman of the Land and Transportation Committee of the National Assembly; and Minister Suh Seung-hwan of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport delivered congratulatory speeches.

Rep. Cho Hyun-ryong, a member of the National Assembly  Land and 

Transportation Committee

“The railroad means more than just a means of transportation close to the daily lives of modern people. It is being operated all across the country, taking on a public character at the same time as land transportation organizations are playing a leading role in securing national competitive power,” read the statement behind the organization of the symposium.

“As such, the railroad is a pan-national industry as a major part of the construction of a social base and, thus, should not rely on the number of passengers only, but should also try to diversify its transportation welfare, considering its policy value.

“But the current structure of railroad operations has a managerial limit, inflexible investment nature, double tracks in the policy and budget, and other problems that have been restrictive for the realization of various creative policies on the operation of the railroad. In other words, civilian investments and strategic suggestions on the national level have been lacking, frankly speaking,” the statement continued.

“The railroad industry needs a more powerful and clear government promotional system, while at the same time strengthening its roles both outside and inside the industry harmonizing the public and commercial interests. It is especially so now as we face the unification of our land and prepare for it to make the railroad operation and its role autonomous and effective,” the statement read. 

“The event has determined the current status of the railroad industry in the country and has collected various opinions on the development of new policies for the construction of a rational new railroad through the rounds of intensive discussions. 

Rep. Cho, the organizer of the symposium, said the future of the railroad is that of a main artery of the state infrastructure and, therefore, should not be approached with only economic concerns, but with macro ideas. He said as he looks back, the past rail policies focused only on the economic aspect, forgetting important matters such as balanced development of the country, dismissing the national trust. 

“The event has shed light on the future of railroad policies to consider balanced land development as the foremost matter to consider by deeply analyzing the problems that the railroad policies in the past had and point out the new directions for new railroad policies in the days ahead,” the legislator said.