Bibliographic Information
Shin, Ye-Kyeong. “A Study on Social Issues in the Discourse of Urban Spatial Restructuring through Railway Undergrounding
—Focusing on the Process after Enactment of the Special Act.”
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society, 27(1), pp. 179–193, January 2026.
ISSN 1975-4701 / eISSN 2288-4688
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2026.27.1.179
Research Summary
This study examines the development of public discussion and policy discourse in South Korea concerning railway undergrounding and the use of surface space released by underground railway construction. Official policy seminars and press releases from the mid-1990s through the period following enactment of the Special Act on railway undergrounding were analyzed systematically.
The findings show that the discussion expanded from the initial selection and undergrounding of railway lines to the three-dimensional use of urban space and restructuring of the existing urban fabric. It also developed beyond resolving physical urban divisions to address the use of newly available surface space and methods of financing development.
Public-private partnership models were identified as the most realistic option for balancing public benefit and economic feasibility. However, legal and technical constraints, financing difficulties, and differences in project feasibility among regions remain significant challenges.