Myeong Hyun-gwan, Haenam County Governor, Launches 'Broad-Spectrum Campaign' to Secure National Funding

Intensive Efforts to Request Support for Local Projects During Visits to Government Complex and National Assembly

(Middle) Myeong Hyun-gwan, the county governor, directly visited central government agencies and the National Assembly to secure funding for pending projects. Photo by Haenam County

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Myeong Hyeon-gwan, the mayor of Haenam County, is continuing his vigorous efforts to secure the national budget for 2021.

According to Haenam County on the 21st, Mayor Myeong visited central government ministries and the National Assembly on the 20th and 21st to secure funding for pending projects as the second review of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s budget proposals by government departments for next year was underway.

About 20 officials, including Deputy Mayor Kang Sang-gu, heads of departments, and team leaders, accompanied him on this trip, undertaking a demanding schedule visiting eight ministries consecutively, including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of Health and Welfare.

On the 21st, he also met with National Assembly members from the region, including Yoon Jae-gap, as well as Park Kwang-on, Min Byung-duk, and Min Hyung-bae, who represent constituencies in Haenam, Gwangju, and Jeonnam, to explain local pending projects and request their inclusion in the national budget.

In particular, he held in-depth discussions with National Assembly member Lee Nak-yeon, who has worked closely with the Jeonnam governor and the provincial council chairman, to prepare long-term development plans for the region.

Major national budget proposals from Haenam County include ▲Establishment of a National Agricultural Research Complex for Climate Change Response (138.5 billion KRW) ▲Creation of a Self-Sufficient Wheat Cluster (40 billion KRW) ▲Construction of Haenam Complex Sports and Culture Center (8.6 billion KRW) ▲Support for Installation of Sewage Treatment Facilities in the Osiano Tourism Complex (35 billion KRW) ▲Water System Connection Project for Agricultural Water in Bukil District (35.3 billion KRW), among 17 projects totaling 547.6 billion KRW (compared to 36.6 billion KRW requested in 2021).

With a large portion of the national budget being allocated to COVID-19 response, the county anticipates difficulties in securing local budgets. Therefore, it plans to proactively devise and discover substantial national projects, including Haenam-type R&D projects, attracting national public institutions that align with balanced national development, and identifying national projects to be reflected in government plans.

To this end, in May, the county held policy meetings with local National Assembly members, provincial council members, and county council members, maintaining an organic cooperative system to secure national funding.

Through this visit to central ministries and the National Assembly, the county provided detailed explanations on the necessity of 2021 national budget projects, living SOC projects, and local pending projects, and discussed support measures.

Mayor Myeong Hyeon-gwan stated, “To secure next year’s national budget and smoothly advance major pending projects, I am actively advocating the validity of these projects by visiting central ministries and the National Assembly. We will mobilize all our capabilities from the budget formulation review to the National Assembly’s approval to ensure that our proposed projects are reflected as much as possible.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.