Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway Set to Advance Smoothly... Choo Mee-ae and Woo Sang-ho United

Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province have united around expressway construction. Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mee-ae and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor Woo Sang-ho shared consensus on the necessity of constructing the 'Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway' and pledged solidarity in passing the preliminary feasibility study and expediting the project.

On the 4th, Governor Choo Mee-ae, Governor Woo Sang-ho, Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun, and Cheorwon County Governor Kim Dong-il met at the second seminar room of the National Assembly Members' Hall to sign a 'Memorandum of Understanding on Government Agencies for Passing the Preliminary Feasibility Study of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway,' and decided to submit a joint petition containing these matters to the government.

The ceremony was attended by approximately 20 key figures and officials, including Rep. Han Ki-ho (Chuncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu) and Rep. Kim Yong-tae (Pocheon, Gapyeong).

At the event, Governor Choo Mee-ae stated, "Today, under the clear principle of 'special compensation for special sacrifice,' we wish to take the first step toward a trans-partisan and trans-regional alliance for constructing the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway, a long-held aspiration of residents in the peace region," adding "The Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway dramatically reduces travel time from 50 minutes to 15 minutes, representing genuine transportation welfare that transforms daily life for residents who have been neglected in remote transportation areas."

Governor Woo Sang-ho said, "The Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway is a national project that connects the capital region with northern Gangwon Province, establishing the foundation for balanced regional development and peace economy."

The agreement was arranged ahead of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway preliminary feasibility study evaluation, expected in October, to convey local governments' strong commitment to promoting the project to the central government.

The Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway is a four-lane expressway extension project connecting Shin-buk Interchange in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province to the Shin-cheorwon area in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, conceived as extending the Guri-Pocheon Expressway to the border region. The total length is 24.0 kilometers, with a total project cost of approximately 1.33 trillion won.

With the Sejong-Pocheon Expressway construction project currently being promoted in phases, connecting the Pocheon-Cheorwon section is expected to significantly improve the transportation environment in the border region, linking Sejong City with northern Gyeonggi Province and Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. Additionally, it is recognized as core infrastructure that connects the capital region with northern Gangwon Province, contributing to regional economic revitalization and balanced development.

Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Pocheon City, and Cheorwon County shared consensus on the necessity of constructing the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway and issued a joint petition requesting passage of the preliminary feasibility study and expedited project promotion through mutual cooperation.

The joint petition includes the necessity of the Pocheon-Cheorwon Expressway project for △improving transportation accessibility in northern Gyeonggi Province and northern Gangwon Province △balanced development of border and underdeveloped regions △revitalizing regional economies △enhancing residents' transportation convenience. The four organizations plan to submit the joint petition to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by the end of this month.