통합특별시 성공의 조건⑦]행정통합 넘어 생활권 통합..교통이 답이다[목포MBC 뉴스데스크]

[Mokpo MBC News] ◀ Anchor ▶ Although Jeonnam and Gwangju are launching as a single special city, the transportation system—one of the first changes citizens will experience—still faces significant challenges. Administrative integration does not automatically mean the integration of living areas. Redesigning the transportation network to connect regions, industries, and people is emerging as a new challenge. Reporter Park Jong-ho reports. ◀ Report ▶ It takes about 40 minutes to travel from Gwangju to Mokpo by KTX. Gwangju and Suncheon are also connected by rail and bus, and intercity buses operate between Mokpo and Suncheon. However, the fact that travel between cities is possible does not mean that a single living area is created. Transfer systems connecting railway stations and bus terminals, as well as airports and city centers, remain inadequate. Furthermore, a wide-area public transportation network that densely links key cities within each region remains a challenge to be addressed in the era of integration. ◀ INT ▶ Kim Song-nyeon, Head of Regional Industrial Location Research Division at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade "I believe that even for cities of the same size, the difference becomes significant if the transportation network is lax or not dense. Therefore, rather than focusing on inter-regional transportation networks like KTX, it is crucial to create a dense network of transit routes within each region..." Transportation policy for an integrated city is not simply a matter of building new roads or increasing the number of trains. It is more important to connect regional hubs such as Gwangju, Mokpo, Suncheon, and Yeosu, and to integrate buses, railways, and airports into a single flow to create a structure where people and logistics can move seamlessly. In particular, strengthening accessibility to Muan International Airport, improving the transfer system centered on railway stations, and introducing wide-area public transportation tailored to regional characteristics are cited as key tasks. The government is also emphasizing the connection of living zones, not just economic zones, as a core task for balanced regional development. ◀ SYNC ▶ Koo Yun-chul / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance (June 16) "We cannot focus solely on economic zones. Since people need to come, I believe we can also focus on living zones—such as daily life, housing, education, medical infrastructure access, and access to cities and roads." The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City has successfully unified its administrative districts. Now, the construction of a transportation network that connects both living zones and economic zones—so that citizens can experience integration in their daily lives—is being cited as a key condition for completing the 'One Special City.' This is Park Jong-ho from MBC News.