PPP leader picks underground railroad relocation as second campaign promise

The campaign promise is seen as aligning the party's policy with President Yoon Suk Yeol's, as burying railroads underground has been one of the president's key initiatives, particularly amid tensions that arose between the two last week

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, shows People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon the view from his office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Monday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The interim leader of the People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hoon, is set to announce the burial of railroads underground as the party's second campaign promise for the upcoming election.

The campaign promise is seen as aligning the party's policy with President Yoon Suk Yeol's, as burying railroads underground has been one of the president's key initiatives, particularly amid tensions that arose between the long-time colleagues last week.

The announcement is expected to be made on Wednesday.

According to the JoongAng Ilbo, the discussion took place during the two-hour meeting between Han and President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday.

"If a railroad passes through the middle of a city, neighborhoods are cut off whether it be between north and south or east and west," President Yoon reportedly said during the meeting with Han, according to the presidential office. "The entire railroad doesn't have to be placed underground," Yoon said. "Even having approximately 1 kilometers (0.62 miles) underground would be a huge help for the north and the south, the east and the west to communicate and for the city to develop harmoniously."

The development project aims to revitalize areas separated from railroads, preventing them from declining into slums, particularly in major cities such as Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan. President Yoon believes this initiative will address deteriorating areas and stimulate regional economies.

By relocating the railroad underground, the lands previously occupied by the rails will be redeveloped, potentially transforming into residential or commercial zones, as well as major parks.

The momentum for underground railroad relocation increased after the passage of a special law on Jan. 9, providing the legal foundation for such projects.

The Land Ministry will develop the overall plan, with costs covered by profits generated from above-ground development, including the sale of lands where railroads will be relocated underground.

In Seoul alone, areas like the rail connecting Cheongyangri and Dongbong Station, as well as Guro and Seoksu, are slated for inclusion in the projects.

The Land Ministry plans to announce the plan outline by March, with detailed plans expected by December.

This announcement from Han is the second campaign pledge. Earlier this month, the PPP interim leader had promised that the party would commit to addressing low fertility rates if voters choose its candidate in the upcoming election.

The campaign promise included extending maternity and parental leave, increased payments for child-rearing, and incentives for companies hiring foreigners, aimed at encouraging more workers to take such leave.

Han’s latest campaign pledge that seems to be in sync with Yoon’s policy came after tensions between the two last week.

Han and Yoon, who have shared a professional relationship for more than a quarter of a century as prosecutors, seemed to experience tension in their close association due to an incident involving the first lady, Kim Keon Hee, receiving a 3-million-won ($2,000) Christian Dior bag from a Korean-American pastor in September 2022.

The president's office argued that the Korean-American pastor had approached the first lady with malicious intent, secretly recording the gift and airing it on YouTube, creating an appearance of bribery.

The president's office expressed frustration when a member of the party's emergency steering committee likened the first lady to the French queen Marie Antoinette.

.Han claimed that the president's office had requested his resignation as the party leader, an offer he refused.

Despite the controversy, tensions seemed to ease a couple of days later when Han and President Yoon visited a traditional market that had been destroyed by a fire overnight in South Chungcheong.

The meeting on Monday occurred nearly a week after the initial discussion.

Han not only worked under President Yoon when they were prosecutors but also served as Yoon's first justice minister.

Both the president's office and the PPP emphasized on Monday that the two leaders were collaborating closely on policy development for the people, while denying any discussions regarding the party's election plan or its members.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]