Sejong relocation set to worsen KTX seat shortage

The government’s second-phase relocation of central government agencies to Sejong is expected to worsen the shortage of high-speed rail seats for Seoul-based commuters. Nearly 3,000 civil servants could move to Sejong next year, with many expected to commute temporarily because family relocation may be delayed. Commuter buses are being considered, while rail capacity expansion on the Pyeongtaek-Osong section has been delayed until 2028.

Foreign rail passengers increased from 3.44 million in 2023 to 6.06 million in 2025, a rise of approximately 80 percent.

Passenger movements at Osong Station reached 9.53 million last year and totaled 7.42 million through the end of September this year.

The Pyeongtaek-Osong rail corridor currently handles 190 train movements per day, and the expansion project is expected to double capacity after completion.

One-way train movements on the Pyeongtaek-Osong section are projected to rise from 179 to 237, but the project’s opening has been delayed from late 2027 to 2028.

Published Oct 17, 2026 3:08 pm KST

Office workers commuting to the Seoul metropolitan area and other parts of the region wait for trains on the platform at Osong Station in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Korea Times photo by Jung Min-seung

Civil servants commuting from Seoul to Sejong face growing concerns over an already severe shortage of high-speed rail tickets, as the government prepares to relocate thousands of officials to the administrative city.

Kim, a 52-year-old civil servant who commutes from his home in Seoul to Government Complex Sejong, said he was worried after the government recently announced its second-phase relocation plan for central government agencies.

Even now, securing a high-speed train ticket departing from Seoul is difficult. The large-scale transfer of government personnel could make finding a seat even harder.

“If you let your guard down and miss the ticket reservations, which open a month in advance, you could end up arriving late to work or having to take a half-day off,” Kim said. “If nearly 3,000 civil servants move to Sejong next year alone, the morning commute will be nothing short of a battle.”

The government's second-phase relocation plan has stirred concern among officials in Sejong. Many are expected to continue commuting from Seoul and other existing places of residence, at least temporarily, rather than immediately moving their families and establishing homes in Sejong, partly because of their children's education.

“The disruption to morning commutes will be unavoidable, given the scale of the relocation,” a government official said on Wednesday. “The government's plan to consider temporary transportation support for officials being transferred takes into account the possibility that family relocations may be delayed.”

Providing commuter buses is emerging as the leading option.

However, traveling by bus from Seoul's Gangnam Express Bus Terminal to Sejong takes nearly two hours, and the fatigue associated with long-distance commuting is another concern. As a result, many officials are likely to prefer high-speed rail.

This has prompted a quip among government officials that Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) will be the biggest beneficiary of the relocation of central government agencies.

KORAIL does not disclose seat occupancy rates, citing business confidentiality. However, demand for services connecting Osong Station with Suseo, Pyeongtaek-Jije, Hwaseong Dongtan and Gwangmyeong stations is reportedly exceptionally high.

“Buying a same-day ticket on the Suseo-Osong route, which connects the Gangnam area of Seoul, is virtually impossible regardless of the time of day,” an interior ministry official said. “During rush hour, it is commonplace for even the passageways between train cars to be packed with passengers.”

Several factors are contributing to the shortage of seats. Many people living outside Seoul travel to the capital for medical treatment at major hospitals near Suseo Station, while the growing popularity of independent travel among foreign tourists has also driven up demand for rail services.

According to KORAIL, the number of foreign rail passengers rose from 3.44 million in 2023 to 6.06 million in 2025, an increase of approximately 80 percent in just two years.

Passenger traffic at Osong Station has also continued to grow.

The number of passengers boarding and alighting at the station surged from 1.5 million in 2012 to 4.1 million in 2015, when the Honam High-Speed Railway opened. The figure surpassed 5 million in 2016, when the SRT began operations.

Last year, Osong Station handled 9.53 million passenger movements. A further 7.42 million were recorded through the end of September this year, putting the station on course to surpass 10 million for the full year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to expand the Pyeongtaek-Osong rail corridor by adding a second set of double tracks to increase high-speed train services.

Once the project is completed, the line's capacity is expected to double from the current 190 train movements per day. The number of one-way train movements on the Pyeongtaek-Osong section is projected to increase from 179 to 237.

However, the opening, initially scheduled for late 2027, has been delayed until 2028, meaning the additional capacity is unlikely to ease the seat shortage in the near term.

“Before the relocation of government agencies gets fully underway, we need to assess commuting demand and coordinate with relevant organizations on transportation measures, including increasing high-speed train services,” an official from the interior ministry's Government Complex Management Office said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

政府将中央政府机构第二阶段迁往世宗市的计划预计将加剧首尔通勤者高铁座位短缺的问题。明年将有近3000名公务员迁往世宗市，由于家庭搬迁可能延迟，许多人预计将暂时通勤。政府正在考虑开通通勤巴士，而平泽至五松段的高铁扩建工程已被推迟至2028年。

外国铁路旅客人数从 2023 年的 344 万人次增加到 2025 年的 606 万人次，增幅约为 80%。

去年五松站的客运量达到 953 万人次，而截至今年 9 月底，客运量已达 742 万人次。

平泽至五松铁路走廊目前每天运行 190 趟列车，扩建工程完成后，预计运力将翻一番。

预计平泽至五松段的单程列车运行量将从 179 趟增加到 237 趟，但该项目的开通时间已从 2027 年底推迟到 2028 年。

发布于2026年10月17日下午3:08（韩国标准时间）

在忠清北道清州市五松站的站台上，前往首尔都市圈及周边地区的上班族正在候车。照片由《韩国时报》郑敏胜拍摄。

由于政府准备将数千名官员迁往行政城市世宗，从首尔通勤到世宗的公务员们越来越担心高铁票本已严重短缺的问题。

52岁的金某是一名公务员，他每天从首尔的家通勤到世宗政府大楼上班。他说，政府最近宣布了中央政府机构第二阶段搬迁计划，这让他感到担忧。

即使现在，从首尔出发的高铁车票也很难买到。政府人员的大规模调动可能会让找座位变得更加困难。

金先生说：“如果你放松警惕，错过了​​提前一个月开放的火车票预订，你可能会上班迟到，甚至不得不请半天假。如果仅明年就有近3000名公务员搬到世宗市，那么早高峰的通勤将会是一场噩梦。”

政府的第二阶段搬迁计划引发了世宗市官员的担忧。许多人预计至少在暂时情况下会继续从首尔和其他现有居住地通勤，而不是立即举家搬迁到世宗市安家，部分原因是出于子女教育的考虑。

一位政府官员周三表示：“鉴于此次搬迁规模之大，早高峰通勤受到影响在所难免。政府已考虑为调任官员提供临时交通支持，并考虑到家属搬迁可能会有所延误。”

提供通勤巴士服务正逐渐成为首选方案。

然而，从首尔江南高速巴士客运站乘坐巴士前往世宗市需要近两个小时，长途通勤带来的疲劳也是一个需要考虑的问题。因此，许多官员可能更倾向于选择高铁。

这引发了政府官员们的调侃，称韩国铁路公司（KORAIL）将成为中央政府机构搬迁的最大受益者。

韩国铁路公司（KORAIL）以商业机密为由，不公开座位占用率。但据报道，连接五松站与水西站、平泽集济站、华城东滩站和光明站的列车服务需求异常旺盛。

“无论何时，想要买到连接首尔江南区的水西-五松线路的当日车票几乎是不可能的，”一位内政部官员表示。“高峰时段，就连车厢之间的过道都挤满了乘客，这是常有的事。”

造成座位短缺的原因有很多。许多居住在首尔以外的人会前往首尔，在水西站附近的大型医院接受治疗；同时，外国游客自由行的日益普及也推高了铁路客运量。

据韩国铁路公司（KORAIL）称，外国铁路乘客数量从 2023 年的 344 万人次增加到 2025 年的 606 万人次，短短两年内增长了约 80%。

五松站的客流量也持续增长。

2012年，该站旅客吞吐量为150万人次；2015年，湖南高铁开通运营后，旅客吞吐量激增至410万人次；2016年，湖南高铁开始运营后，旅客吞吐量突破500万人次。

去年，五松站客流量达953万人次。今年截至9月底，客流量又达到742万人次，预计全年客流量将突破1000万人次。

国土交通部计划扩建平泽至五松铁路走廊，增设第二组双轨，以增加高速列车服务。

项目完成后，该线路的运力预计将从目前的每天190趟列车增加一倍。平泽至五松段的单程列车班次预计将从179趟增加到237趟。

然而，该机场最初计划于 2027 年底开放，但已推迟到 2028 年，这意味着新增的运力不太可能在短期内缓解座位短缺问题。

“在政府机构搬迁全面展开之前，我们需要评估通勤需求，并与相关机构协调交通措施，包括增加高铁服务，”内政部政府综合管理办公室的一位官员表示。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。