Korea Railway Network (KR) Chairman & CEO Kang Yeong-il said KR is devoting itself to realizing a national goal of linking all of major cities across the nation via the high-speed railway network within 90 minutes’ travel of each other by 2020.
“The ongoing high-speed railway project of the Seoul metropolitan area will launch commercial services in the first half of next year as planned, making the nation a half-day living sphere in a full-fledged manner,” KR Chairman Kang said. He added that the Wonju-Gangneung portion will be opened by the end of 2017 to back up Korea’s successful hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
One hundred and sixteen years have passed since Korea’s first railway section between Noryangjin, Seoul, and Jemulpo, Incheon made its debut on Sept. 18, 1899. The nation observes the Railway Day anniversary on Sept. 18 every year in celebration of the event. KR has been expanding the scope of beneficiaries of the national high-speed railway network with the opening of the second phase Dae-gu-Busan portion of the Seoul-Busan High-speed Line in November 2010 and the Honnam High-speed Line this past April.
KR is transforming itself into a renewed institution under the stewardship of KR Chairman Kang, who took office in February 2014. Chairman Kang has been spearheading the innovation in the way KR is operated, breaking the mold and instilling vigor into the institution, a departure from decades-old mafia-like dishonor. He is offering staff members with motivations.
Chairman Kang recalled that KR’s corporate culture was stagnant, too balky due to fatigue and resistance over innovation when he took office. Kang tried to make the institution a cheerful, dynamic place. His efforts to let staff members reinvent themselves in a voluntary manner have paid off.
For instance, KR has innovated construction methods and others, saving 1.2 trillion won in the process.
KR took home the presidential award in the national quality circle competition and grabbed the top prize at the Korea Idea Management Awards. Staff members who have achieved feats are given incentives plus extra points in the evaluation of their personal business performance. Chairman Kang would have luncheons and take time out with staff members to give them a sense of self-esteem and pride and communicated with them. KR is improving its corporate culture.
Kang said KR is conducting a drive in which staff members are encouraged to concentrate their focus on mainstay jobs and stay away unnecessary ones, and KR is also devoting itself to be recognized as an institution beloved by the people.
Recent Opening of Honam High-speed Line
The new 182.3km high-speed line from Osong to Gwangju was opened to the public in April. Osong is located on the existing Seoul-Busan high-speed line and the new line reduces the journey between Seoul and Gwangju by 1 hour 6 minutes from 2 hours 39 minutes on existing infrastructure.
Chairman Kang said it is significant that the dedication of the Honam high-speed line has been done with homegrown technologies ranging from design to construction. He cited the trickiest jobs, including the Osong Overpass section above the already-operating Seoul-Busan high-speed line and Jeongeup and Jeongji overpasses crossing a highway. The Honam high-speed line has been successfully completed by overcoming a difficult situation in which work was done in a short period of time with trains traveling on the already-operating line and ensuring safety of newly introduced technologies and new construction methods.
Crews’ taking pains at the construction of the Honam line and accumulation of advanced technologies has opened a new chapter in the history of constructing the high-speed railway, said Chairman Kang, adding that it is expected to lay a foundation for the resurging of the Korean railway industry, the implementation of the so-called Eurasia Initiative, and strengthening its overseas presence in the global railway market, and enhancing Korea’s national standing. In October 2013, President Park Geun-hye proposed the initiative, calling for making the Eurasian continent an economic bloc and inducing the opening of North Korea to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea held a ceremony at Daemari, Cheolwon-eup, Cheolwon-gun, Gangwon-do, on Aug. 5 to launch a project to reconnect the Baekmagoji-Weoljeongni section, part of the South Korean portion of the Gyeongwon (Seoul-Wonsan) Railway Line, which has been suspended in the wake of the division of the Korean Peninsula.
“As President Park has said many times, North Korea would be halfway between Busan or Mokpo and Europe via Siberia,” Chairman Kang said.
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, he said, the project of reconnecting the Gyeongwon Line, part of efforts to propel the Eurasia Initiative, will likely serve as a bridge to lead to unification beyond inter-Korean reconciliation.
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