Prime Minister Kim Min-seok personally rode the Gimpo Gold Line during morning rush hour on the 27th and promised to implement measures, saying he was "sorry to the residents."
PM Kim traveled on the Gold Line from Sau Station to Gimpo Airport around 7 a.m. that day. "I felt this is a matter of basic rights for Gimpo residents," he said. "I realized they must think every day, 'Why do I have to endure this while paying the same taxes as everyone else?'"
He added, "Regardless of what measures any previous government implemented, I am truly sorry to Gimpo and neighboring residents. I apologize that we have not been able to resolve this quickly."
The Gimpo Gold Line is known as the "worst subway hell" with congestion rates exceeding 200%. PM Kim noted, "Lawmakers representing the Gimpo-Geomdan district urged me to come ride it, especially during evening rush hour on Mondays or Tuesdays. I felt I absolutely should have come sooner." He added, "I heard today was relatively better with the holiday approaching."
After speaking with passengers on the subway, PM Kim received a briefing at Gimpo Airport Station and pledged to prepare countermeasures.
"I realized our task is to implement the existing short-term comprehensive measures as quickly as possible," he said. "We need to add four to five more Gold Line trains, expand dedicated bus lanes, expedite GTX-B and Line 5 extension, and fundamentally establish measures related to Olympic Boulevard."