Director General Park Min-woo of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)

The government is going all out to implement the 3rd Railway Network Buildup Scheme. 

The following are excerpts of an interview in which Director General Park Min-woo of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), enumerated his ministry’s policies on the occasion of the celebration of Railway Day, which falls on Sept. 18. 

The designation of Railway Day marks the opening of the Gyengin Line, the nation’s first railway connection, between Jemulpo and Yeongdeungpo stations on Sept. 18, 1899.  

Question: What do you attach priority to in the course of the implementation of the 3rd Railroad Buildup Scheme?

Answer: We will focus on dramatically enhancing the efficiency of the operation of railways, for example, the easing of insufficient rail tracks and continuing to expand railroad networks in line with the plan to make all major South Korean cities navigable within two hours  or more of each other and metroplitan city areas commutable within half hour. We’re also concentrating on making preparations to build an integrated railway network on the Korean Peninsula in an era of reunification, and the laying of infrastructure to boost railway logistics to beef up industrial competitiveness. 

Korea is aggressively trying to explore overseas high-speed railway markets.

Q: Will you introduce projects to diversify services of urban railways?

A: Local governments put an emphasis on expanding urban railways to ease urban traffic problems. They are showing keen interest in light rail transit systems that can be built and operated at lower costs.

The MOLIT has developed magnetic levitation trains and battery-powered, low-floor trams through R&D activities. Local governments have been advised to study ways of building light train lines on routes with lower demand and branch lines. 

The government is working on infrastructure to commercialize battery-powered, low-floor trams, including the revision of such laws as the Act on Urban Railways.

Inquiries and complaints about the use of subways from foreign tourists coming here for shopping and medical care stand at more than 2,000. A survey on complaints and inconveniences about foreign tourists’ urban railway services has been commissioned to come up with steps to fix them. 

We’re seeking to have urban railway stations outfitted with elevators and escalators designed to help the handicapped travel in a convenient and safe fashion.

Q:What steps are in place to tap the foreign railway market?

A: The ministry is making a multidirectional approach, like the strengthening of technology, financial and diplomatic support, to explore the foreign railway market. 

In order to upgrade technological prowess, we provide support to the forming of optimal consortia composed of best companies in each area and continue to make R&D investments to develop technologies.  

In the financial sector in which Korea looks vulnerable compared to its rivals, including Japan and China, the MOLIT is working out ways of providing financial support in cooperation with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) and other related ministries.

As large-scale railway projects have taken government-to-government (G2G) project format, we’re reinforcing diplomatic support by holding events inviting ranking officials from foreign governments and railway cooperation meetings. For instance, the government is making all-out efforts in collaboration with the private sector to win the order on the projected Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed railway. A consortium comprising of Korea Rail Network Authority (KR), public organizations and companies is participating in the bidding. MOLIT Minister Kang Ho-in toured Malaysia and Singapore in June to meet senior government officials and inspect local sites.

Q: What about projects to connect infrastructure between South and North Korea to brace for reunification?

A: In a short-term perspective, the government is implementing projects to reconnect railways cut between the two Koreas. A project to restore the disconnected southern section of the Gyeongwon Line that broke ground last year is designed not only to maintain momentum in so-called Eurasia Initiative, but to serve as a bridgehead to pave the way for reunification, going beyond inter-Korean reconciliation. 

In a long-term perspective, the Eurasia Initiative will be realized by connecting inter-Korean railroad networks and networks with the continent to build international railway logistics networks. To this end, Korea is building infrastructure for railway transportation of the continent through the nation’s joining of the Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OCJD) and overcoming of track differences.

Q: Will you explain projects to boost the competitiveness of the Korean railway industry? Will you elaborate on the major features of the high-speed railway service starting from Suseo, and how to cope with conflicts among stakeholders?

A: The government is shifting from the conventional monopoly system to a competitive one to ramp up the competitiveness of the railway industry. The high-speed railway service starting from Suseo, to be operated by SR, takes on significance as the starting point of the competitive regime of the railway industry.

SR offers fares 10 percent lower than the existing Korail and services, differentiating itself from the latter, prompting competition in good faith between SR and Korail and bringing more benefits to people. The MOLIT is overseeing the operation of Korail and SR so as not to cause unfair practices and severe conflicts, as well as inconveniences to the public. 

We’re asking them to put more high-speed trains in each region in time for the opening of the high-speed railway starting from Suseo. The ministry will do its best to minimize each region’s complaints by allowing high-speed railway operators to establish plans on the operation of high-speed trains corresponding to the operation intervals of expressway buses by taking into currently conditions in a comprehensive way. 

Q: What plans does your ministry have to ramp up the competitiveness of the railway car industry?

A: The railway car industry is closely related to railway safety and quality levels. It is important for Korea to secure a competitive edge as the global railway market is forecast to maintain continued growth with a demand in eco-friendly cars. The Korean rail car industry suffers such internal and external woes and problems as a declining competitive edge and a rapid growth of China. 

Railway cars and parts makers depend on orders from the public sector. The public sector plays an important part in the long-cycle, system industry, so the ministry comes up with plans to aggressively provide support to nurture the industry through such measures as support for the developing of railway car and maintenance industries and the exploration of overseas markets and expertise manpower development. In particular, we’re striving to go for parts standardization and modulation while nurturing parts SME superstars to build a strong part supply chains of the industry. Related businesses are also asked to make their utmost on their own to develop technology and explore overseas markets.