The recent station name change in the Daegu Metro Line 1 extension proved again that citizen participation plays an essential role in public policy decisions. The station names of the section, which is scheduled to open in December this year, have been changed to reflect citizens’ opinions, showing that citizens’ voices can bring about substantial changes in the policy-making process.
The controversy began when the long names of ‘Buho·Kyungil Univ.·Hosan Univ. Station’ and ‘Hayang·Daegu Catholic Univ. Station’ caused inconvenience to citizens. Many pointed out that long station names are difficult for citizens to understand and pronounce, and do not meet the criteria for establishing station names. In this process, some citizens complained of inconvenience. Daegu Transportation Corporation, in charge of the Line 1 operation, pointed out that the long station names caused inconvenience to users and delayed emergency response, making it difficult to maintain consistency in the guidance system. Accordingly, Gyeongsan-si held a corrective coordination committee and decided to change the names of the new stations to ‘Buho Station’ and ‘Hayang Station.’
However, in an interview with a Daegu Catholic University student, there was an opinion that the previous station names would reduce confusion with ‘Hayang Station.’ Junior A said it was rather convenient to call a station name because it was easy to understand without having to call it by its full name. However, she positively evaluated that civic participation played an essential role in the policy-making process because it was the result of the change, as many citizens complained of inconvenience.
This case of changing the Daegu Subway Station name shows the actual impact of citizen participation on public policy decisions. The controversy caused conflicts between residents and passengers, but a reasonable solution was drawn by collecting various opinions. In future similar decision-making processes, a more careful approach is needed through public hearings and expert advice, and it is necessary to closely examine the effects of policies to make balanced decisions.
