Gwangju City's National Budget for Next Year 2.7638 Trillion Won... Record High

14% Increase of 338.8 Billion KRW Compared to Last Year's Government Budget Proposal

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 1st that the reflected amount of national funding for next year's pending projects has surpassed 2.7 trillion won, securing the largest government budget ever.

The reflected amount in Gwangju's government budget proposal for next year is 2.7638 trillion won across 315 cases, showing a 14% (338.8 billion won) increase compared to this year.

Among these, new projects account for 65 cases with 123.3 billion won, and ongoing projects for 250 cases with 2.6405 trillion won.

In particular, key pending projects that Gwangju is focusing on, such as AI convergence projects, clean air industry cluster creation, and construction of Urban Railway Line 2, have been fully reflected, giving momentum to project implementation.

Especially, as new industry future growth engine projects to revitalize the economy, new projects totaling 65 cases and 123.3 billion won were reflected, including ▲Clean Air Industry Cluster Creation (14.6 billion won), ▲Big Data-based Automotive Parts Reliability Technology Advancement Project (6.3 billion won), ▲Regional ICT Innovation Square Creation Project (5 billion won), ▲Smart Mold Manufacturing Innovation Data Utilization Infrastructure Establishment (3 billion won), and ▲Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based 200kg-class Cargo Drone Technology Development (5.8 billion won), laying a foundation for stable future national funding support.

Also, as New Deal projects to overcome the unprecedented economic recession caused by COVID-19 and transition to a digital and green economy, projects such as ▲AI Digital Park and Demonstration Testbed Creation (7 billion won), ▲Unmanned Autonomous Driving-based Untact Service Technology Development Demonstration (3 billion won), ▲Industrial Data Standardization and Certification Infrastructure Establishment (2.5 billion won), ▲Horizontal EV (Electric Vehicle) Industry Ecosystem Creation Project (2 billion won), and ▲AI-centered Industrial Convergence Complex Creation (63.8 billion won) were reflected.

Looking at the national funding secured by sector, first, for cultural and tourism projects to establish an Asian cultural hub city, 87 cases totaling 155.6 billion won were secured, including Gwangju Representative Cultural Village Creation (3 billion won), Investment in the 3rd Fund for Asian Cultural Hub City Development (10 billion won), AI-based Content Creation Lab Establishment and Operation (1.5 billion won), Gwangju Immersive Content Cube Creation (2.3 billion won), Asian Art Garden Creation (5.1 billion won), Sajik Park Permanent Performance Hall Creation (4.6 billion won), and Asian Culture Center Content Development and Operation (60 billion won).

▲For regional economic revitalization, R&D, and future growth engine projects, 94 cases totaling 351.1 billion won were reflected, including AI-centered Industrial Convergence Complex Creation (63.8 billion won), Support for Industrialization of Optical Materials for Camera Lenses (1.9 billion won), Establishment of Hub-type Hydrogen Production Base (2.9 billion won), Smart Home Appliance Electrical Industry Infrastructure Linkage Advancement Project (1.6 billion won), Eco-friendly Automotive Parts Cluster Creation (14 billion won), Micro Medical Robot Commercialization Technology Development (10.4 billion won), and Construction of Labor-Management Co-growth Support Center (8.4 billion won).

▲For projects aimed at expanding social safety nets and realizing a clean environment to improve quality of life, 51 cases totaling 1.6556 trillion won were allocated, including Maternal and Newborn Health Care Support (3.1 billion won), Clean Air Industry Cluster Creation (14.6 billion won), UNESCO Global Geopark East Asia Platform Establishment (800 million won), Metropolitan Sanitary Landfill Phase 2-2 Creation (5.3 billion won), Installation of Buffer Retention Facilities in Hanam Industrial Complex (3.6 billion won), Water Circulation Leading City Creation (10.8 billion won), and Smart Pipeline Management Infrastructure Establishment (7.4 billion won).

▲For social infrastructure expansion projects linked to jobs such as SOC facilities, 39 cases totaling 568.2 billion won were secured, including Road Construction between Sangmu District and Cheomdan Industrial Complex (4 billion won), Energy Valley Access Road Construction (5.6 billion won), Northern Ring Road Construction (5 billion won), Gwangju-Gangjin Expressway Construction (104.6 billion won), Gwangju Ring Expressway Section 2 Construction (1.9 billion won), Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 Construction (224 billion won), and Urban Regeneration Projects (34.1 billion won).

▲For projects related to democratic human rights and safety system establishment, 44 cases totaling 33.3 billion won were reflected, including 5·18 Freedom Park and Freedom Hall Exhibition Facility Improvement Project (1.5 billion won), 5·18 Victims Status Survey Service Project (500 million won), Solomon Law Park Construction (3.7 billion won), Daenam-daero Road Alignment Improvement (7.3 billion won), and Traffic Accident Frequent Area Improvement (700 million won).

Gwangju City analyzed that actively focusing on securing national funding for core investment projects such as future growth engine projects and the Korean New Deal, which are government financial investment directions responding to the post-COVID-19 era, played a key role in securing this national funding.

Gwangju City plans to propose to the National Assembly budgets related to industrial and living environment air quality improvement demonstration-based commercialization technology development projects (95 billion won) and advanced 3rd district access road construction (1.5 billion won), which were not reflected in the government budget proposal due to incomplete preliminary procedures such as feasibility studies.

Park Sang-baek, the city's budget officer, said, “Gwangju is dynamically and innovatively changing for new future growth engines such as AI convergence projects leading future industries, socially integrated Gwangju-type jobs promotion, and selection as an ‘Economic Free Zone’ including Bitgreen Industrial Complex,” adding, “We will cooperate with the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Budget and Accounts Committee, local lawmakers, and central government ministries to achieve maximum results so that the national funding supporting our city's pending projects can be increased in the National Assembly.”

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