SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea is set to launch a new high-speed train service aimed at reducing travel time between central Seoul and its surrounding areas. Government officials hope that this project will encourage more young people to consider living outside the city and starting families.
South Korea currently has the lowest fertility rate in the world, with many young individuals citing long commutes and high housing costs in greater Seoul as reasons for delaying marriage and having children.
The birth rate in Seoul is even lower than the national average, despite government efforts to increase the number of newborns through subsidies. In an attempt to address this issue, officials are now turning to the Great Train eXpress (GTX) project, a 134 trillion won ($99.5 billion) initiative that aims to provide faster transportation options by 2035.
President Yoon Suk Yeol recently inaugurated a section of the first GTX line, which will significantly reduce the commute time from Suseo in Seoul to the satellite city of Dongtan from 80 minutes to just 19 minutes.
Yoon Suk Yeol noted that the shorter commute will allow individuals to spend more time with their families in the mornings and evenings, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance.
The GTX is expected to become one of the fastest underground transportation systems globally, with trains reaching speeds of up to 180 km per hour (112 mph) once fully operational.
In South Korea, owning a home can be expensive, especially in Seoul where housing prices have risen significantly over the past few years. The GTX project aims to make living outside the capital more feasible for young people by reducing commute times and increasing accessibility to surrounding areas.
According to Land Minister Park Sang-woo, the GTX will give individuals the opportunity to consider living further away from Seoul without sacrificing long hours commuting, allowing for more time to be spent with family.
Park Sang-woo highlighted the challenge of making time for family and children when faced with long commutes, stressing the importance of providing individuals with additional leisure time outside of work.
However, some analysts have raised concerns about the potential impact of the GTX on rural areas in South Korea, fearing that the project may further centralize population growth in the already densely populated capital.
Kim Jin-yoo, a professor of Urban Planning & Transportation Engineering at Kyonggi University, suggested that to revitalize declining regional towns, similar public infrastructure investments would be necessary in other areas as well.
(Reporting by Cynthia Kim and Jihoon Lee; Editing by Josh Smith and Miral Fahmy)
