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Incheon Airport’s Maglev Line Faces Uncertain Future Amid Dispute with Local Authorities

The Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) is planning to repurpose the airport’s suspended Maglev train into a “tourist-oriented orbital line,” but progress has stalled due to ongoing conflicts with the Jung District Office of Incheon.

According to Maeil Business Newspaper reports on February 9, 2025, the IIAC submitted an application in December 2023 to reclassify the defunct Maglev line as a “track-based transportation facility” (orbital line). However, an official reopening date has yet to be announced.

The plan involves shifting the system’s legal designation from a “urban railroad” governed by the Urban Railroad Act and Railroad Safety Act, to a track transport facility under the Track Transport Act. This change would transfer management and oversight authority from the national government to the local government—specifically, the Jung District Office.

However, the district office has requested written documentation confirming that ownership and operational responsibilities will remain with the original builder (the IIAC) even after the reclassification. As of now, the airport corporation has not submitted that documentation.

Despite having provided some supplementary materials, the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement, largely due to differing views on the future role of the Maglev.

Jung District officials argue that, given the airport’s daily traffic of over 200,000 passengers and the growing population of nearby Yeongjong Island, train operations should resume at or near the original service level of 103 daily trips. However, the airport corporation intends to operate the line at just 23 trips per day under its new plan, focusing mainly on tourism rather than commuter service.

info based on https://www.mk.co.kr/en/society/11236518 Accessed 2025-09-02

Is the information in the artice above accurate?
We had it checked by AI (perplexity.ai) and ChatGBT. Here is the response of perplexity:

The article reports that Incheon International Airport Corporation plans to convert the airport's currently suspended magnetic levitation train into a tourist train, while the local authority (Jung-gu, Incheon) has different priorities and insists on maintaining its function as public transportation for residents. The conversion would shift management responsibility from the national to the local (Jung-gu) level. According to the article, the necessary documents and agreements for this status change have not yet been provided, causing delays. There is also disagreement over service levels: the airport authority wants only 23 trips per day (tourist focus), but the district office demands at least 103 trips as previously operated (public transport supplement).

Assessment of Factual Accuracy

The facts regarding the proposed conversion of the maglev train, the change of oversight, the delays due to missing documents, and the differing priorities between Incheon Airport and the district office align with established processes in the South Korean administrative system and are similarly reported by business and government-oriented news sources.

Comparable conflicts—specifically that cities and regions weigh transportation projects differently than national authorities—are frequently observed in Korea, especially in the Greater Seoul area.

The numbers cited, such as 200,000 daily airport passengers and the former 103 daily trips, are plausible and match publicly available information.

Conclusion

The information presented in the article is factually accurate and consistent with other available current information. The described conflicts and delays do reflect the present situation regarding the conversion and reopening of the maglev train at Incheon Airport and are actively discussed in public sources.