Expanded bullet train system cuts domestic travel time

An expanded bullet train system has allowed people living in roughly a fifth of the country to benefit from shortened travel time last year, a government report said Monday.

In a recent report by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, residents in 22.4 percent, or a 22,000 square kilometer region, of the country were able to reach another point in less time due to the KTX high speed train network. 

This undated Yonhap News TV captured image shows a notice about the KTX bullet train services from Seoul to Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, from December 2016 against the background of the Seoul Station and a KTX train. (Yonhap)

In particular, residents in 16.3 percent of the national territory directly benefited from the opening of the KTX bullet train system from Seoul to southeastern cities such as Busan and Daegu. Those in 6.1 percent of the territory were the beneficiary of the KTX system from Seoul to Gwangju and other southwestern urban centers, the report said.

Full-fledged bullet train service linking Seoul to Gwangju began in May 2015.

The report also pointed out that an expanded bullet train system helped stimulate spending near train stations, that helped regional economies. (Yonhap)