Since its founding in 1946 in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Kookmin University has made various academic achievements in the humanities and social sciences, and its automotive engineering, architecture, and design fields are recognized worldwide. Recently, the fields of software engineering and artificial intelligence engineering have been growing. This is not just Kookmin University's achievement. This is because universities share knowledge, education and research capabilities with the community and contribute to community development. This is why the seven universities in Seongbuk-gu have joined forces with the city through the Seongbuk Cluster. In this sense, we would like to join the residents of Jeongneung-dong in their aspiration for the 'Gangbuk Crossing Line'.

Jeongneung-dong is one of Seoul's most marginalized transportation areas, lacking a subway station. The area's transportation relies solely on roads, causing residents to suffer daily traffic congestion. The 18,000 students at Kookmin University also suffer. It takes more than two hours to commute to school from Incheon and northwest Seoul, wasting energy that could be used for learning. For this reason, expectations are high for the Gangbuk Transit Line, which will run through Jeongneung, Jongno-gu, Pyeongchang, Seodaemun-gu, Mapo-gu, Gangseo-gu, and Mokdong Station in Yangcheon-gu.

However, it failed to cross the threshold of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's preliminary feasibility study in June. The economic feasibility was evaluated as low because it was predicted to be costly while demand was low. This was the result of the deletion of the regional balanced development category from the three evaluation categories of economic, policy, and regional balanced development, and the increase in the weight of the economic category to 70 percent. The metropolitan area has a high economic weight due to high land prices and space constraints. As a result, it is difficult for metropolitan areas to qualify under the current evaluation method.

Convenient transportation offers numerous opportunities and development possibilities for the region's residents. It is a virtuous circle with the region's educational competitiveness and economic development. The pre-qualification methodology, which does not reflect the reality of the metropolitan area and does not provide opportunities for more young people, must be revised.

The government and the city have come up with various policies for young people. In the meantime, we call for a swift restart of the Gangbuk Crossing Line, which will connect the east and west sides of Gangbuk, Seoul, and provide opportunities for young people. The Gangbuk Crossing Line should proceed as scheduled to alleviate the inconvenience of KU students who waste their learning energy commuting to school. We want to raise our voices with local residents and Seongbuk-gu so that more talented people can knock on Kookmin University's door and settle in the Jeongneung area. We hope that policymakers will make policy decisions for the next generation with an eye to the future, not just the immediate economic feasibility.

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